Solitaire

by Lindsay McKenna

  “Yes…but…things just didn’t work out for us, Cat. Not the way I wanted, at least. Listen, enough of my troubles. How are you? You sound better. Happier.”

  Her heart bled for Rafe. How many times had he talked of Jessie to her? Any fool could see that Rafe was head over heels in love with the woman. Shutting her eyes, Cat had no defense against her brother’s pain. “Oh, I’m surviving.”

  “Isn’t Slade Donovan treating you right?”

  The threat in Rafe’s voice made her laugh softly. “Now don’t go getting growly like an old bear just waking up from hibernation. Slade is–well, he’s wonderful, Rafe.”

  “Then what’s the problem? You’re worried. I can hear it in your voice.”

  “It’s just the calls I’m getting from mining companies who want to hire me. Seems like everyone knows I can’t fulfill the terms of the Australian contract and they’re trying to entice me into other jobs. They’re like Nar hunting down a rabbit.”

  Rafe’s laughter was explosive. “That damned eagle. Speaking of hunting, did you know he grabbed Goodyear the other day?”

  Buoyed by Rafe’s sudden good humor, Cat was swept along by it. “Oh, no. What happened? Did Millie get on her broomstick and fly after him?”

  Chuckling, Rafe recounted the latest escapade of the golden eagle and the nearly-thirty-pound, overfed cat, Goodyear. “Well, you know how Nar dive-bombs the chicken coop every once in a while to keep everyone on their toes?”

  “Yes, the little turkey.”

  “Now, Nar would be insulted if you called him a turkey.”

  “Jim Tremain calls him a flying pig and he’s right! Well, go on. What happened?”

  “Pig is right. Anyway, Nar spotted the Goodyear blimp outside the horse-paddock area. I guess Goodyear had caught his first mouse ever.”

  “As fat as that cat is, I’m surprised he’s caught one. Sure the mouse wasn’t crippled, blind and already dead from old age?”

  “Who knows?” Rafe laughed. “Anyway, I was saddling Flight up to help herd some cattle to the south range when I saw Nar land about ten feet away from Goodyear. The cat hadn’t hurt the mouse. He was just holding it between his front paws gloating over it. Frankly, I don’t think Goodyear knew what to do with it. Millie feeds him so many table scraps he’s never had to hunt a day in his life.”

  “What did Nar do?”

  “He flapped his wings and came clucking and chutting up to Goodyear. The cat flattened his ears and crouched over his mouse. He wasn’t going to give up his feast to that brazen bird.”

  Cat could barely stifle her giggles, and held a protective arm across her stomach. “Did Nar take the mouse?”

  “No. He made a lightning strike for Goodyear’s tail and picked him right up off the ground. You should have heard the racket. The mouse squeaked and ran. Goodyear was shrieking like a scalded cat. Nar lumbered toward the meadow, trying to get airborne, dragging Goodyear in a wake of dust. Can you imagine a thirteen-pound eagle trying to lift off with a thirty-pound fatso? I was laughing so hard, tears were running down my face. Goodyear was digging into the grass and dirt trying to stop Nar from moving forward. Nar kept getting jerked around until finally he crashed. Both he and the cat hit the dirt at the same time. You should have seen it–dust, feathers and cat fur were flying everywhere.”

  Crying with laughter, Cat couldn’t speak for almost a minute. “Oh, no! What happened? Did Millie ever get wind of it?”

  “Nah, I ran out of the barn to stop Nar from dragging the damn idiot cat around by the tail. There was a huge cloud of dust and all these screams from Nar and snarls from Goodyear. Just as I got there, Goodyear shot out like a fired cannonball with a couple of feathers in his mouth. Nar limped out the other side with a real hurt look on his face. I stood there laughing. That cat finally got even for all the times Nar teased and chased him. Last I saw, Goodyear was rolling at high speed toward the safety of the chicken coop, Nar’s tail feathers in his mouth.”

  Wiping the tears from her eyes, Cat said with a giggle, “Finally, after all these years, Goodyear evens the score! Did you tell Dal that her eagle got the worst end of the confrontation?”

  “Yeah, I did. I don’t know who laughed harder, Dal or me.”

  Cat smiled tenderly, cradling the phone. “You’re so good for me, Rafe. All I have to do is remember Nar and Goodyear’s latest battle and I’ll die laughing.”

  Suddenly shifting gears, Rafe asked, “Have you heard anything about the Emerald Lady Mine or what they were going to do with the owner?”

  Cat sobered slightly. “Lionel Graham has been handed a large fine by the government.”

  “Well deserved,” Rafe applauded.

  “I don’t think he’ll be able to build any more mines in the U.S. without the government watching him closely. He got what was coming to him.”

  “Slade had been right about him all the time,” Rafe added.

  Cat made a wry face. “Tell me about it. If I had listened to him in the first place, I wouldn’t have gotten into my present bind.”

  “But then, you wouldn’t have met Slade.”

  Rafe was right. Cat closed her eyes for a moment. “And I’m very glad we’ve had the time together.”

  “Good,” Rafe rumbled, his voice warm and pleased, “you deserve some happiness.”

  “Between you, Slade and Kai Travis, I’m surrounded by people who make me smile and laugh.”

  “So, you like the Travis gal, eh?”

  “Yes. She and her husband, Matt, are wonderful. Slade has had them over here for dinner once a week and we have a great time. You should see their one-year-old, Josh. I’ve never seen a cuter tyke.” And then Cat cringed. Why did she have to bring up the subject of babies to Rafe? She knew how much he’d wanted kids before his wife had died in childbirth.

  There were a few awkward moments of silence, then Rafe cleared his throat. “You sound better now, Cat. I’ll give you a call in a week and see if you’re still improving.”

  Trying to rally for his sake, Cat murmured, “Don’t worry. Between Slade and Kai I have to get better.”

  Chapter Six

  Kai loosened the blood-pressure cuff from around Cat’s left arm. “Perfectly healthy and normal. Not bad after four weeks.” She set the cuff aside and examined the nearly healed scar along Cat’s scalp. “You’re just as tough as Slade,” she teased. “Are all you rock-hunting miners built out of the same genetic material?”

  Cat met her smile. Kai had a genuine warmth emanating from her that made Cat feel good. “I’m not as tough as I look.”

  “Nonsense. Come on, let’s go enjoy a late-morning margarita on Slade’s back porch. It’s almost noon and I can’t stay long. Maria is watching Josh until I get back. Let’s spend a few minutes catching up on what we’ve been doing the past few days.” Kai reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m really glad you’re here, Cat. Out on this Texas desert, I get a little lonely for feminine company.”

  Cat followed Kai out into the living room and sat down at the bar. Kai made a mean margarita, almost as good as Slade’s. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you, Kai,” Cat admitted.

  Kai dropped the ice cubes into the blender, shut the lid and turned it on. “Slade would have been utterly lost without your help.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kai poured the margaritas into two long-stemmed glasses, her eyes sparkling. “I’m sure he’s told you why he flew up to Maine to find you. After all, he wanted only the best engineer to build that mine of his down in Colombia. He’d talked for months of a way to lure you away from your other commitments. Believe me when I tell you that when Slade wants something, he doesn’t take no for an answer.” Kai added a slice of lime to the drinks. “But then, you’ve experienced his persuasive sales abilities, so you know what I’m talking about. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Slade as intense as he was about hiring you. He wanted the best.” Her eyes twinkled and she leaned forward, her long auburn hair falling around he
r face. “Just between us, I think Slade’s enjoying your company so much he’s forgotten about the mine. When I talk to him, he always speaks of you, never about the Verde.”

  Cat nearly choked on Kai’s statement. She barely tasted the tart drink, thrown as she was into a maelstrom of powerful emotions. Slade had wanted to hire her to build him a mine? He had hinted about a business deal, but she had forgotten all about it. Maybe his offer to have her recuperate at the ranch was just part of his business plan. Why hadn’t she questioned Slade more closely? But then, how could she? As badly injured as she was, she had willingly accepted Slade’s offer to recuperate here. What an idealistic fool she had been.

  “It’s good,” Cat forced out in a tight voice, all her focus on the unannounced business deal.

  Kai smiled and came around to join her. The white slacks and bright green blouse did nothing but bring out her natural beauty. “Great! Hey, you know we should go shopping soon. Slade could fly us into Houston for the day. He always has business with Alvin, his partner, there. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if we tagged along.”

  Slade had a partner. A business partner. Cat didn’t like what she was hearing. Was Slade’s care and seeming desire nothing more than a means to get her to work with him on his mine? A knifelike pain tore through her. Had Slade’s kisses only been a disguise for what he really wanted? No wonder he’d downplayed her problems with Ian Connors. If Slade wanted her services, he’d gladly tell her to drop Connors.

  Her fingers tightened around the frosty stem of the glass. Shaken, Cat took another gulp of the margarita. One way or another, I have to find out why Slade really brought me here. Maybe it wasn’t out of the kindness of his heart, as I thought. Inwardly, Cat died. Until that moment, she had never really gotten in touch with the depth of her feelings for Slade. And now it was sheer, aching torture to admit just how much he had come to mean to her.

  After Kai had gone, Cat sat in the silence of the living room. I’ve just found out why I’m here at Mourning Dove Ranch, Cat grimly told herself. She gingerly ran her hands over her healing ribs and went to the kitchen, where Pilar was starting preparation for lunch.

  “Did you want coffee, señorita Cat?” she greeted her, lifting one soapy hand.

  Cat managed a smile and went over to a large pot, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “I can get it, Pilar. Thank you.” She needed time to think. “Is Slade in his office?”

  “Either his office or hobby shop,” Pilar replied. “Would you like an early lunch?”

  “No, thank you. I’ll just go out to the porch for a while.” She had no appetite.

  Cat sat down at the table, staring beyond the screened-in porch. Absently, she smoothed the burgundy skirt that was imprinted with a profusion of white, pink and lavender orchid blooms. Kai had insisted over the weeks that she have something other than pants to wear and had given her a gift of the Mexican skirt and blouse. Cat fingered the lace of the boat-necked white blouse she wore, her mind spinning.

  Cat’s mind focused on Slade. Was he planning to send men and machinery down to Colombia to gear up for the mine he wanted to build? For eight hours each day he would disappear into his office. Was Slade playing a waiting game with her? Cat tried to search her memory for some betraying facts. Slade would join her, like clockwork, at noon, for an hour-long lunch. She could never quite get used to his devastating effect on her–that special warmth flowing up through her, the added beat to her heart when she first saw him crossing the living room and moving to the porch where Pilar served lunch. Merriment was usually lurking in his eyes when he approached her. Cat frowned, the coffee tasting bitter. Right or wrong, she was drawn powerfully to Slade, and it was more than physical. How she felt about him and what he wanted from her warred within her. She had to talk to Slade and clear the air.

  Cat rose, her mouth set in a determined line. She wanted to do something–anything–to settle what lay between them. In another few weeks she would be fit and ready to work again. Cat set the coffee cup on the drain board, gathering her courage. Padding silently through the house, she walked across the garden and patio. The palms of her hands grew damp as she followed the left fork. Cat tried out a number of opening lines in her head as she walked along the path to Slade’s shop. She slowed, coming to a sliding-glass door that was partially open.

  Slade was bent over what she recognized to be a multi-wheel gem polisher. He had a gem in a brown, waxlike substance known as dop, and was grinding the shape of the gem against the spinning wheel. His long workbench, to the right, was strewn with a can of dop sticks that would hold a rough-cut cabachon-shaped gem. Faceting equipment, which would shape a gem to blinding brilliance, was nearby. Cat stood in the doorway, tense.

  Sensing her presence, despite the level of noise, Slade turned around. “Come in…if you can find a place to sit down.” Taking off his safety glasses, Slade leaned over, pulling a stool toward him, motioning for Cat to join him.

  “I–thanks.” Cat sat down.

  “Looks like you’re a little bored.”

  Somehow, he looked more pulse-poundingly handsome than usual to her. Slade wore a faded red T-shirt that emphasized the powerful breadth of his chest and tight muscles. His jeans were streaked with dust and soiled across the thighs, where he obviously wiped his fingers as he worked.

  “I didn’t know you were a jeweler,” Cat began lamely, unsure how to begin her preamble.

  Slade grinned, putting the glasses back on and returning to the work at hand, turning on the polisher again. He expertly positioned the cabachon he held on the stick between his hands. “Making jewelry is my hobby.”

  Cat leaned forward, fascinated. “An unusual hobby for a man.”

  “But not a geologist,” Slade corrected, lightly pressuring the stone against the wheel. A whirring sound continued for several seconds before he lifted the stone away. Slade dipped it into some water, and rubbed away the accumulated material that resulted when the rock was polished. There was satisfaction mirrored in his face. He held the stick out to her. “Take a look. That’s pink tourmaline from the El Camino mine. Beautiful specimen, isn’t it?”

  Cat held the stick, observing the gem. Slade was no amateur in his fashioning of the stone. The tourmaline was at least four carats in size, and Slade had used the oval cut to bring out the breathtaking pink fire from the depths of the stone. “It’s lovely,” she whispered.

  Slade smiled. “There’s no color on earth like this,” he agreed, running his callused finger over the gem.

  “You’re hardly a novice,” Cat accused, handing the stick back to him.

  His smile broadened as he set it down on the table next to the lathe. “No, but my mother taught me to be modest about my talents. So what did you think I was doing back here?”

  “Working on the latest geology reports, collecting data for a place where you might want to go next,” she hinted, waiting to see if he would take the bait.

  “I wanted to get this ring finished in time for my mother’s birthday. It’s only ten days away,” he murmured, taking off his safety glasses.

  “It’s a lovely stone. I’m sure your mother will be thrilled with it.”

  “I sure hope you’re right. So, you’re itching to get back into the mining mode?”

  Cat froze internally. “Not yet.”

  “Let’s change our schedule, then. How would you like to go on a picnic with me today?”

  Caught off guard, Cat repeated, “A picnic?” It sounded wonderful and she knew the sudden catch in her voice showed her surprise. She saw Slade smile as he got up and rinsed his hands off in a basin nearby.

  “Well–I–there’s something we have to discuss, Slade.”

  “Great. I’m cashing in on that rain check I promised you, Cat. We can talk over lunch. Why don’t you tell Pilar we’re going? She’ll be happy to fix something for us.”

  Cat slid off the stool. Maybe a picnic would be the right place to broach the subject. “Oh? Does she want to get us out from underfoot?” />
  “She’s been after me for the past two weeks to take you on one. I couldn’t because it’s hell traveling with taped ribs any more than necessary. Now, you’re almost as good as new and I think it’s just what we both need.”

  Cat turned away, feeling heat in her cheeks. “Have you had broken ribs before, Slade?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, when I was at the university I played football. One game I took three hits simultaneously and ended up under a pile of opposing players. I came out with four busted ribs. Needless to say, I didn’t play the rest of the season.” He lifted his head and turned toward her. “That’s how I knew how much pain you were in this past month. You’re a pretty brave lady, you know that?”

  With a wan smile, Cat stepped out the sliding-glass doors. “Don’t put me on a pedestal, Slade. I’ll fall off before you can blink twice. I’ve got enough inclusions in me to match any emerald you find.” Inclusions were the hairline fissures that could flaw the otherwise clear surface of a gem. In other words, they were mistakes, and she made her own fair share. And so did Slade.

  “Inclusions make you interesting, sweetheart. Who wants a flawless gem? They’re rather boring in comparison.”

  “You’re a glutton for punishment, then. I’ll tell Pilar of our lunch plans.” Cat tried to stop the fear expanding within her. In the weeks they had lived together under the same roof, peace had reigned, not irritation or tension. No, Cat thought wryly to herself, the only tension her heart felt was a longing to draw closer to Slade. Toward the end of the picnic, Cat could talk to Slade about the mine.

  *

  Packing the wicker basket in the back of the Jeep, Slade guided Cat into the front seat. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she had become in the past month; her sable hair shone with gold highlights, and though it was a bit shaggy, it was more appealing as it grew longer. She was, by anyone’s standards, a woman to be recognized. Pilar had given her a broad-brimmed straw hat to protect her face from the harsh sun overhead. Slade got into the driver’s seat, and the Jeep started up with a cough and sputter.