Wilde One

by Jannine Gallant

  Chapter 21

  Standing well back from the edge of the overlook, Ainslee let out a long breath. Sunlight glimmered on frothing waves rolling in from the horizon, while jagged cliffs dropped in sheer splendor straight into the sea.

  “There aren’t any words to describe how amazing this is.” Raising her arms, she spun in a circle, face lifted to the stiff breeze.

  “Along this stretch of Big Sur, there are miles and miles of coastline just as spectacular.” Griff stepped up behind her, dropped one hand on her shoulder and pointed with the other. “See that huge boulder jutting out of the water over to the right?”

  She smiled up at him. “I do. Are those little blobs sea lions? They certainly seem to have plenty to say this morning.”

  Their barking echoed off the cliffs, not exactly a symphony, but certainly more harmonious than the shrieking seagulls circling overhead.

  His lips curved in a grin. “I kind of enjoy listening to them, which is a good thing since I’ll be working in this area.”

  “Tell me about the wreck.” Ainslee gathered her wind whipped hair and secured it with a scrunchie she pulled from her sweatshirt pocket. “Geez, it’s breezy today.”

  “Cold? I’ll keep you warm.” He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. “Let’s see, less than ten miles straight out from that monolith are submerged rocks. A buoy marks them now, but there didn’t used to be one. Based on a series of letters an old gentleman from San Diego published in his genealogy records, a ship sank in the vicinity during the gold rush. It was a merchant vessel returning to the East Coast for mining supplies. The ship was loaded with the gold his great-grandfather took in exchange for the goods he sold in his store in Sacramento.” His arms tightened. “Sounds like the merchant made a huge profit off the miners.”

  Strands of her hair caught on his unshaven face when she nodded. “The storekeepers were the real victors in the rush to find gold. They came away far richer than the miners.”

  “Well, this man lost all his profits when the Maggie May sank. Only a couple of the hands survived to tell the tale.”

  “If they knew where the ship was lost, why hasn’t it been recovered before now?”

  “Wicked currents in the area kept anyone from trying back in the day. Then I imagine people forgot all about the Maggie May over the years. The Marsh genealogy was only published last winter by a vanity press. I’m lucky I came across a reference that intrigued me enough to check it out. From all my research, I’m nearly positive the ship’s still there.”

  “That’s really cool.”

  The hand on her ribcage inched upward. “I’m pretty excited about the project. Once I have the Wilde Chick back from the company leasing her, I’ll reassemble my crew and set to work.”

  Ainslee wished she had such a well-mapped plan for her near future. A sigh slipped out. Time to find a place to settle down, not to mention a job to support herself and her dog. Frowning, she glanced around, wondering where Rocky had wandered off to.

  Her breath caught. “Rocky, no! Get away from there!”

  Digging furiously, he stuck his nose down a gopher hole not two feet from the edge of the cliff.

  “You stay back. I’ll get him.” Griff released her to run over and grab the dog, then carried him away from the danger zone. “Damn it, Rocky. Don’t you dare bite me.”

  Twisting in his grip, Rocky snapped and growled.

  “Maybe I’d better leash him.” Ainslee bent to fasten the clasp to her dog’s collar as soon as Griff set him down. “Thanks for rescuing him. Did he nip you?”

  “No, I think the gnashing teeth was all for show.”

  She straightened, holding tight to the leash. “I’m grateful, even if Rocky isn’t. I should have been watching him more closely.” Her gaze strayed back to the vista of endless sea. “Despite the canine drama, I’m glad we stopped. I can’t imagine a place more beautiful than this. Lucky you, getting to work in this area.”

  “You could always contact the local school districts to see if any of them are hiring. Carmel isn’t too far away.”

  Did he really just suggest that?

  Ainslee blinked. The last time she’d mentioned moving anywhere near his work site, he’d freaked, acting like she was the worst sort of clinging vine. One that could only be controlled by a carefully placed barrier at least a state or two wide. She subdued an urge to kick up her heels in a victory dance as they headed toward the SUV.

  Once they’d pulled back onto Highway One, he glanced over. “I guess we should decide what we want to do next. I’m positive we ditched anyone who might have attempted to follow us out of the city before we stopped at that crappy motel last night, but we can’t just drive aimlessly for the rest of the day. We need to have that picture and the jewelry appraised. Sooner rather than later. I’m not too thrilled with the idea of carrying valuable art around with us indefinitely. Some transient could break into the car and walk away with our Manet.”

  “Monet. Manet painted people going about their daily lives. Monet painted misty landscapes.”

  “Right. Whatever. I can tell you all about ancient coins but nothing about Impressionist paintings, if that’s what ours is.”

  “I took a few art appreciation classes in college.” She lifted one shoulder. “But I’m afraid they didn’t include tips on how to get a painting appraised. Do we look for someone online?”

  “I have a contact who could probably suggest a reputable appraiser in the area.”

  She leaned back in the seat and gave him a quick smile before returning her attention to the sea pounding the shoreline far below. “Do what you think is best. I trust your judgment.”

  “Fine. I’ll call my buddy once we get settled.” He grew silent to navigate a hairpin turn then picked up the conversation. “The closest town to the wreck is only a few miles from here. Though it’s not very big, there’s a harbor where I can moor the Wilde Chick and some halfway decent pay-by-the-week studio cabins my crew can rent out. I looked into it before leaving Florida when I was considering this site. There’s also a campground.” He cleared his throat. “I know you need to make plans for your future, but if you want to hang out a little longer…”

  She hid a smile behind her hand. “Sure. I can house hunt and job search from here as easily as I can from anywhere else once I find a Wi-Fi connection.” She pointed toward the ocean as they descended at a steep pitch. “I’m not in a hurry to give up this view. What’s the name of the town?”

  “Cliffside.”

  “Appropriate. Let’s camp tonight while we consider our options.”

  He nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Cliffside wasn’t much more than a cluster of homes on the steep slopes above a natural inlet. A winding road led down to the harbor where the cabins Griff had mentioned were located, along with a general store, a restaurant and bar, a souvenir shop with a colorful display of windsocks flying in the breeze and a mobile library.

  Ainslee turned to face him with a wide smile. “A library on wheels? How cool is that?”

  “This place is pretty isolated. You can’t blame the inhabitants for wanting to read.”

  “Not many inhabitants. Three hundred and twenty-nine according to the population sign. Doesn’t look like they even have a school.”

  Griff parked in front of the store. “The kids must take a school bus down to Big Sur.” He climbed out of the SUV and slammed the door. “The campground’s at the south end of town. We can load up on supplies then head over.”

  She stepped to the pavement and pointed. “Do you see the sign in the window of the library? Free Wi-Fi. I love this place.”

  “Great, you can house hunt tomorrow. Right now, I’m starving.”

  “Not exactly a newsflash. You’re always hungry.” Taking a deep gulp of tangy salt air and sighing in pleasure, she followed him into the store. The tight aisles and heaped bins provided a veritable cornucopia of merchandise and reminded
Ainslee of Granger’s General Store in Cloverdale. The small touch of home was somehow reassuring. “People sure aren’t going to go hungry around here.”

  “Rock slides take out sections of the highway on a regular basis during winter rainstorms.” Griff dropped a loaf of bread and a bag of cinnamon raisin bagels in the cart. I wonder where we’ll find tortillas. I’m in the mood for burritos. You’d think they’d be in this section.”

  Pausing with the cooler door open, she turned. “You mean the town could be cut off completely from civilization?”

  He moved farther down the aisle. “You make it sound so dramatic, but sure. Ha, refried beans and salsa. Score!” He tossed them in the cart. “Are you getting milk or just standing there?”

  “That’s horrible. What if there was an emergency?” She grabbed milk, cream cheese and a couple of fruit yogurts then shut the cooler door.

  “I’m not sure, but they must have procedures in place.” He rounded the corner. “Found the tortillas. They’re at the end of the aisle. Oh, don’t let me forget to pay for a bag of ice before we check out. The freezer was out front.”

  They finished the shopping and left the store. After putting everything into the food container and ice chest, they drove back to the main road.

  Ainslee picked at a loose string on her shorts. “You don’t seem very concerned.”

  “About what? There’s the sign for the campground.” He turned onto a bumpy dirt track.

  “The isolation. What you do is dangerous, and there’s no hospital for miles.”

  He braked to a stop in the middle of the road and turned in the seat to tilt her chin up with one long finger. Their gazes locked. “Are you worried about me?”

  “Shouldn’t I be?”

  “No.”

  “Well, I can’t help it.”

  His smile set butterflies loose to flutter around in her stomach.

  “The places where we dive are almost never close to civilization by most people’s standards. But my crew is experienced. We don’t take unnecessary risks.”

  “Accidents happen.”

  “Sure they do, but both Joe and I are trained EMTs. I’ve stitched up quite a few gashes over the years. The only time we had a real emergency, the local hospital medivacked my diver straight off the vessel in a chopper. He probably got medical attention faster than we’d be able to obtain from the ranch.”

  She let out a long breath. “That doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better.”

  Leaning across the center console, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips then came back for a second, longer one and lingered. “It’s nice to know you care.”

  “Wouldn’t you worry about me if our positions were reversed?”

  His brow wrinkled. “I hadn’t thought of it in quite that way, but, yeah, I guess I would. Check that. I know I would. Still, you probably had a more dangerous job than me when you were teaching those inner city delinquents. Sometimes you have to assess the risks involved in a situation, do your best to mitigate them, then go with the flow.”

  “Not a bad philosophy, but I doubt anyone will want to print it on a T-shirt.”

  He laughed and took his foot off the brake. “Let’s go set up camp.”

  * * * *

  Griff leaned back in the camp chair and pressed the cell phone closer to his ear. The reception was spotty at best. “I’d be up for helping you out, Sawyer. The trip sounds like fun, but I’m kind of with someone right now. Can I bring her along?”

  Across the blazing campfire, Ainslee’s head jerked up. Curiosity registered in her eyes, and one brow lifted. When he shrugged in response, she went back to washing their dinner dishes.

  His brother’s sigh came over the airwaves. “There’s no room. I have three fully loaded rafts and only one other guide.” Irritation came through loud and clear despite the lousy signal. “I told Cory not to do anything stupid while he was rock climbing yesterday, but did he listen to me?”

  “I’m guessing the answer is no.”

  “Of course not. He was showing off for one of the actresses who arrived early to do a little climbing, and he ended up with a broken arm. The idiot’s lucky he didn’t break his neck.”

  “You can’t find another local guide to take his place?”

  “I’ve spent all day trying, but they’re booked solid. The river trip is scheduled to begin the day after tomorrow. That gives you a whole day to get here.”

  “I have an appointment at a gallery in Carmel in the morning, but I guess I could take a flight out of San Jose to…where am I going?”

  “Salt Lake City. From there you catch a commuter plane to Moab.” Sawyer let out another long sigh, but this one held a touch of relief. “You’ll do it, then?”

  Griff glanced across at Ainslee, and an ache started in his chest. She’d be hard to leave behind, but family was family. He owed his brother who’d always been there for him when it mattered. “Sure. Who would turn down an opportunity to meet Blake Benedict? The man kicked serious ass in his last movie. Does he really do all his own stunts?”

  “That’s what his publicist says. I just hope he can paddle a damned raft. There’re some class four rapids on this stretch of the Colorado. I tried to talk the trip organizer into an easier run, but they’re going to be filming and need to get some spectacular footage.”

  Griff’s chair legs hit the dirt. “Are we going to be in the movie?”

  Sawyer laughed. “Maybe a few cameo shots. Now that I have you hooked, I’ll go arrange your flights. I’ll call in the morning with the info.”

  “Cool.”

  “Thanks for doing this, Griff. You’re saving my ass.”

  “No problem. Talk to you tomorrow.” He clicked his phone off. “Hot damn!”

  “Blake Benedict?” Ainslee tossed the dishtowel on the picnic table. “Are we going to meet Blake Benedict?” She waved a hand in front of her face. “The man is possibly even better looking than Parnell Jones. I may melt into a quivering puddle of Jell-O at his feet!”

  The ache in his chest dropped to his stomach. “Um, you aren’t exactly meeting him.”

  The light in her eyes faded. “Oh.” She turned away. “No big deal.”

  Griff jumped to his feet and rounded the fire pit to wrap his arms around her. “Sawyer doesn’t have room for additional passengers in the rafts. He just needs an experienced guide because one of his employees broke his arm.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You’re an experienced river rafting guide?”

  “Sure. Sawyer and I both worked on the Snake River for a couple of summers during college. After he opened his own company, I helped out on a few trips when I was between salvage jobs.”

  “So, of course you’re going to drop everything to go hang out with Blake Benedict and a bunch of hot movie starlets.” She tugged against his grip. “I guess I can’t blame you for wanting to go.”

  He held on tighter. “Sawyer needs me. He’s in a bind, and I told him I couldn’t leave until after we talk to the appraiser at the gallery tomorrow morning. Good thing we made an early appointment.”

  “I guess so.” Her voice was higher than normal. “It’s not like you have any other obligations holding you back, right?”

  He let out a relieved breath. “Exactly. The timing’s good.” He dropped a kiss on her neck then released her. “Thanks for finishing the dishes. I’ll put the food back in the car. No point in tempting the raccoons.”

  “Nope, no point at all.” She grabbed her overnight bag off the end of the bench. “I’m going to take a shower. You don’t have to wait up.”

  She left the campsite before Griff could answer. He stared after her and frowned. Even though she said she understood, Ainslee had sounded royally pissed. His scowl deepened. She claimed she wasn’t a clinging vine, yet the second he made plans that didn’t include her, she got angry. Or hurt—which was even worse. If something this minor could upset her, what would a possible future with her look like? Mayb
e she was more like Johanna than he’d thought.

  “Shit.” Grabbing the box of food and crate of dishes, he carried them to the SUV then shoved both containers into the loaded rear end. Making a return trip, he dropped the cooler on top of the box then slammed the door closed. Letting out a breath, he ran a hand through his hair before wandering over to the fire. Staring into the flames, he debated his options. Should he call Sawyer and tell him he couldn’t help out? It wasn’t often his brother asked for a favor. “Damn!”

  From his spot on a folded blanket near the table, Rocky lifted his head then stood and stretched. After a quick shake, he strolled over to give Griff a condescending look. Or maybe it was the dachshund’s version of the evil eye. He wouldn’t put it past him. The dog adored Ainslee, and Rocky had probably picked up on her tension.

  Slumping into the chair, Griff turned his face up to the star-strewn sky. Well, hell, he was crazy about her, too. Coming down to Cliffside had been his idea. And after dragging Ainslee along with him, he planned to dump her and run. Her irritation was without doubt warranted. The only alternative, however, would mean leaving his brother in a bind.

  This was why he wasn’t big on relationships. They were complicated and inevitably wound up messy. Griff liked to keep things simple. Except the pain in his chest returned when he thought about walking away from the woman currently knotting up his life. Leaving Ainslee wasn’t an option.

  He pulled out his cell.

  “Sorry about the attitude earlier.”

  His head snapped up as he juggled the phone. “Give a guy a little warning next time. You move like a stalking panther.”

  Ainslee entered the campsite and took the chair opposite him. Her hair was still damp, hanging in wet ringlets over the shoulders of her fleece jacket. Never taking her gaze off him, wide brown eyes filled up most of her face as she raised her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs.

  “I was just going to call Sawyer to tell him I can’t go to Utah.”