And with no way to pay back the mortgage he’d taken out on the land, he’d lose his parcel of Stone Creek completely.
One month ago, that thought had been inconceivable. Now—he glanced at Annie—he knew that wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.
He watched her as she knelt in the wet slushy dirt, her clothes covered with mud as she pulled up core samples from the drilling pipes and examined them. Between the seismics and the meticulous mapping, they knew almost to the foot where the trap might be. If they hit oil, the samples would clearly show the slimy black gold. There’d be no dramatic burst or gush of oil as depicted in the movies, just a simple inspection of the dirt being brought up. If they didn’t hit it, it was Annie’s responsibility as Arloco’s geologist to shut the operation down.
There’d be no reason to proceed beyond what was mapped. Arloco wouldn’t approve it, and it would be Annie’s head if she went more than ten feet beyond what was authorized.
12,350 feet.
Because there was nothing else he could do at this point, and because he knew she was too busy to notice, he allowed himself the luxury of watching her. There wasn’t much to see actually. A blanket of mud enclosed her long sleek body, a hard hat covered her silky blond hair, and the goggles she wore hid most of her face. And still, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
God, how he wanted her. He wanted to watch those lips curve into a smile that could brighten the darkest room; he wanted to hear that soft sexy voice that could bring a man to his knees or cut him to ribbons. Most of all, he wanted her here, with him. In his bed, in his life.
He wanted too much.
His stomach twisted as he forced himself to look away from her. He didn’t want to think about how wonderful it had felt to go to sleep, and wake up, with her in his arms. Not now, not when she’d be leaving in a few hours. He’d never make it through the day if he tortured himself that way.
Their conversation this morning had been more like that of polite strangers than lovers. They’d dressed quietly, and when she’d stood at the front door, her hand on the knob, and softly said goodbye, he’d heard the finality in her voice. It had taken every ounce of willpower he possessed not to drag her back.
But he couldn’t. No matter how much he loved her, Jonathan would always be there between them. Annie deserved better than that. She deserved a man who would love her without reserve, without guilt. And that man wasn’t him.
“Jared!”
He turned at the sound of his name, then swore silently as he watched Myrna and her father walk toward him.
Not now. Of all the times he didn’t want to deal with his stepmother, this certainly had to be at the top of the list.
“We thought we’d stop by and see how it’s going.”
Convenient timing, Jared thought sourly. If Annie didn’t find oil in the next few minutes, Myrna would be the first to know he’d failed. Vultures moved in fast. No doubt she already had a check written to buy his part of Stone Creek.
There was also no doubt he’d tell her what she could do with that check.
“I hear today is the day.” Carlton extended his hand to Jared. “Just wanted to wish you good luck.”
“Thanks.” Jared shook the man’s hand and noted how pale he was. Carlton Hewitt had always been a tenacious corporate man who was known for his aggressive business dealings. It seemed strange to see the man finally beginning to show his age.
“Why don’t you go help yourself to something cold to drink in the fridge?” Jared offered, gesturing toward the office. If he couldn’t get rid of them, at least he wouldn’t have to look at them.
“Thanks, son.” Carlton slapped Jared’s back. “Don’t mind if we do.”
Frowning, Jared watched Myrna and her father disappear into the office, then turned his attention back to the rig.
12,360 feet.
Now or never. They’d go ten feet beyond the target zone, then stop.
For the next few minutes, he went through the motions of checking on the equipment and talking to the men, but with each sweep of the second hand on his watch, he felt the band around his chest pull tighter and tighter.
12,370 feet.
He watched as Annie slowly straightened. She stood there for a long moment, staring at the sample in her hand, then removed her hat and goggles and looked up at Jared.
Jaw set, he walked over to her.
Her gaze held his, then she shook her head.
He knew he should feel something. Anger. Frustration. Disappointment. But the fact was, he felt nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
“Jared—”
He raised a hand and cut her off, then turned toward Slater. “Shut the drills down.”
Slater glanced at Annie, his dark eyes narrowed. She nodded slowly.
Slater whistled to the drill man and sliced a hand through the air. The engines slowed, stopped, then the compressor was shut down, too.
The sound of quiet was deafening. No one spoke. No one moved.
Jared drew air into a chest that felt hollow and faced the crew. Their expressions were grave as they watched him. “I want to thank you all for working for me. I’m sorry it was a bust, but I appreciate your hanging in there with me when it got sticky. You’ve been a good crew.”
Glenn, who’d been standing next to Annie, took his hat off and stepped forward. “What are you going to do now, boss?”
It was the same question on Annie’s mind. The mud covering her body suddenly felt like lead, and she couldn’t have moved her feet if she’d tried. There was nothing more she could do, nothing anyone could do, and the realization that it was over pierced her heart.
What are you going to do, Jared? she asked silently.
Jared’s eyes met hers for the briefest of moments, then flicked away. “There’s a call out for a rig in Venezuela. Anyone interested in a little foreign travel, let me know. In the meantime, you can settle up your pay with Slater.”
An emptiness settled over Annie. He was leaving. Just like that. She hadn’t really thought he would, not with Jessica and Jake and Emma here. She knew how much his family meant to him. And deep in her heart, she’d even hoped that he might want to stay for her, because he did love her, and maybe, just maybe, they might have a chance.
Jared turned to her then, his eyes hollow as he looked down at her. “Thank you, Annie,” he said without emotion. “In spite of what you might think, I’m glad you were here. I’m sorry this didn’t work out.”
She watched in amazement as he started for the office, but when he saw Myrna and Carlton standing in the doorway, he turned sharply and headed for his truck.
Thank you? Sorry this didn’t work out?
That was how he said goodbye?
So much for second chances, she thought, curling her hands into fists.
Cold anger suddenly filled the vacuum inside her. She was tired of trying to understand his hurt and guilt. Tired of her own hurt. She’d loved Jonathan, and when he’d died, she’d thought her world had fallen apart. But time had slowly put it back together and eased the pain. She’d been fortunate to find love again, a deeper stronger love that came with a maturity she hadn’t had the first time. And now she’d lost that, too.
It made her mad as hell.
She followed him to the truck, her boots throwing mud with every angry step. He’d already started the engine when she appeared beside him, her eyes narrowed.
“Annie, I’m sorry, I—”
“Save it,” she snapped. “I don’t want to hear it. You’re a damn fool, Jared Stone. You can run as far as you want, but someday you’re going to run out of places to hide,” she said, repeating Slater’s words. “Then what will you do?”
She turned and walked away before he could respond, and when his truck drove off, she swallowed the thick knot in her throat. All she wanted to do was get the rest of her things and get out of here. She headed for the office, cringing at the thought of having to deal with Myrna right now. At le
ast Carlton had gone outside and was talking to a couple of the crew members.
Myrna was sitting behind the desk, using the phone, but quickly hung up when Annie walked in. She stood and bestowed her with a pitying look. “Oh, Annie, you must feel so awful. And Jared, the poor dear,” she went on. “He looked so devastated.”
“Mrs. Stone, please excuse me,” Annie said coolly, “but I have some work to finish up in here.”
“Why, yes, of course. I’ll just get out of your way.” Myrna picked up her purse and started for the door. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, dear. It’s not your fault.”
Holding back the sigh of exasperation in her throat, Annie just shook her head as the woman left the office, then sat at the desk. The map that Jared and Slater had spilled soda on was still spread out on the desktop.
It’s not your fault.
Annie froze as Myrna’s words sank in.
A strange sensation came over her, a feeling as if she’d suddenly remembered something she’d forgotten long ago.
It’s not your fault.
The dark stain on the map stared at her. The image of Jared and Slater arguing about it sprang into her mind. Frowning, she closed her eyes and concentrated.
It’s my fault, Jared had said.
No, it’s my fault, Slater disagreed.
But it was both their faults.
Two faults!
With a gasp, her eyes flew open. There were two faults! That was what had been staring at her all these weeks. Two faults with oil traps. But she’d been so busy fine-tuning the first fault, wanting to make sure she had it exact, that she’d neglected to look for another.
The logs and seismics would prove her theory, but she hadn’t much time. It could be another ten feet, or another hundred. But it was there. She knew it. She didn’t know how she knew it, but she did.
She ran to the office door. She searched frantically for Slater and found him standing by the compressor, preparing to release the air from the hoses.
“Slater!” He turned, his brows raised as she ran at him, waving her arms. “Wait! We’re not done yet.”
Myrna and Carlton were getting into their car, but stopped at Annie’s announcement. The men, who’d been milling around to talk, looked over.
“Slater.” She stopped in front of the foreman and grabbed him by the arms. “Get the crew back in place. There’s a second fault. I’ll need a little time to map an approximate, but I know it’s there.”
Slater frowned at her. “You can’t do that, Bailey. Arloco will can you if we drill beyond what’s authorized.”
“Where’s Ken?” she asked, searching the area for her her supervisor. “I’ll get him to okay it.”
Slater shook his head. “He already left. Said to tell you he’d see you back in Dallas.”
No! Ken was the only one who could approve an extension. And she wouldn’t be able to reach him now for hours. Dammit. She couldn’t give up.
She wouldn’t.
“Let them can me. I don’t care. I’ll take full responsibility. It won’t come back at you.”
“You think I’d give a damn if it did?” He gave her a long, searching look then nodded slowly. “All right, Bailey, you’re the boss.”
From the corner of her eye, Annie saw Myrna and Carlton approaching. She leaned in close to Slater and whispered, “See if you can keep the dogs chained, okay? I need some quiet.”
Slater’s smile was devilish. “No problem.”
Ignoring Myrna, Annie hurried back into the office. She heard Myrna call her, but quickly slammed the office door shut and locked it.
Annie closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. She drew in a deep breath to calm herself and cleared everything from her mind. She couldn’t let Myrna or Arloco, or even Jared, interfere with her now.
* * *
He stood under the oak tree and stared up at the wide spreading branches. A warm wind softly rustled the leaves, and the low-pitched chirp of a resident bird carried on the breeze. Autumn touched the late-afternoon air.
Jared had climbed this tree many times as a child. He and Jonathan had chiseled their names in the coarse bark. He moved to that spot, surprised at how far down he had to look to find the carvings. Twenty-two years ago, they’d been eye level.
He knelt and touched his fingers to the roughened edges of his brother’s name. It was still clear, though weathered with time. Jonathan had cut his thumb with his pocket knife that day and insisted Jared cut his, too, so they could be blood brothers. Jared remembered arguing the issue, saying they were already blood brothers, and there was no point in both of them bleeding. The argument degenerated into name-calling, then fists flying. When Jared’s nose started to bleed, Jonathan got his way.
The smile on Jared’s face slowly faded. Who’d have thought that at age twenty-nine one of them would be buried under this tree in the family cemetery.
He drew in a slow breath and moved to the first headstone, paying his respects to his mother first.
Helen Roberta Stone, Beloved Wife and Mother. Images flashed through his mind. Her brilliant smile as she lit birthday candles...her gray eyes narrowed with a reprimand...her soft laugh at the dinner table....
She’d been the quiet voice of reason in a house full of hotheaded impulsive men—not to mention Jessica, with her determined disposition. His father had cherished Helen, her children adored her. Her death had devastated them all, but none more than J.T. and Jessica.
He moved to his father. Jeremiah Tobias Stone. The image in his mind now was hard piercing blue eyes. He’d been a strong hardworking man who showed his love with a look or touch, but never with words. And even though they’d argued when he’d closed down the well, Jared knew his father had done it because he loved him.
Jared still remembered the night before he’d left for South America. J.T. had stood at the door, watching his son pack. “Just remember, son,” J.T. had said, “no matter where you go or what you do, your family will always be there for you. Always.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, Dad,” Jared said softly now.
He stepped to the final grave and stared unblinking at the dry earth, then at the simple block of granite.
Jonathan Graham Stone.
He’d gone from a name carved on a tree to a name carved in a headstone.
A heavy ache grew in Jared’s chest, moving upward, closing his throat and blinding his eyes.
“We didn’t hit oil, Jonathan,” Jared said. “All those plans, all the years of preparing. Nothing. You died for nothing.”
A feeling darker and blacker than he’d ever felt before swelled inside him. Fists clenched, he sank to his knees.
“Damn you, Jonathan Stone.” Jared hit the ground with his fists. “Why weren’t you here with me for this? All those years of planning, of hard work. We were supposed to do this together. Damn you. Damn you.”
The wind picked up, shuddering the branches overhead. The bird flew off, chattering loudly. Jared drew in a choking breath, watching as the leaves swirled around his knees. What the hell was wrong with him, he thought, shouting at Jonathan like that? He certainly couldn’t hear him. Jared looked up, listening to the whisper of the wind.
Or could he?
Slowly Jared unclenched his fists and stared at his hands. All these years he’d held a tight knot of anger inside him. Anger at himself for letting Jonathan die. For loving Annie. For going to South Amer-ica. He’d worn that anger like a suit of armor, and it had shielded him from the truth. The truth of his real feeling, his true anger.
But it wasn’t himself he was mad at. It was Jonathan. For dying. For leaving him behind. How could he do that to him? They were blood brothers.
The sound of their voices from that day came back to him: the childish laughter, the heated argument. He glanced up at the tree, and a sudden calm overcame him.
He felt no shame in the moisture on his cheeks. Only relief. He stared at the leaves gathered around his knees, felt the wind on his face and kn
ew that Jonathan would never truly die. He would always be with him.
And as he looked at the headstone, he heard the quiet sound of goodbye.
He stood slowly and thought of a beautiful blonde with hazel-green eyes who had captured his heart the moment he’d laid eyes on her. He’d been lost.
But she’d belonged to Jonathan. And that would always be there between them. He didn’t want to be second. He couldn’t live with wondering if it might be Jonathan she thought of when he held her, if Jonathan’s name might slip from her lips when he made love to her.
He knew he had to let her go. She deserved so much more than he could give. A man who could love without doubts, without fear. If she stayed, it would drive them apart, then drive her away. And losing her like that would be a death more torturous than anything else he could imagine.
He sighed wearily, wondering if she’d left the rig yet. He at least owed her a decent goodbye. An ache spread through his chest as the image of Annie’s soft smile came to his mind. He’d loved her from the first; he would always love her.
His feet felt like lead as he walked to the truck. He drove back to the site in a daze. When he saw her Cherokee parked in front of the office, the pain in his chest tightened. She was probably still packing a few things.
He pulled in front of the office and cut the engine, then suddenly realized that the drills were running again.
“What the...?”
Frowning, he glanced first at the rig, then at the office. Those drills should have been shut down more than an hour ago. What was going on?
And as he opened the truck door to go find out, the office exploded, then burst into flames.
Twelve
The blast threw him to his knees, but he was up and running before the shock wave passed.
“Annie!”
He screamed her name as he reached the blown-out front door. Flames shot through the opening. “Annie!”
He ducked, intending to jump through the fire, but suddenly found himself yanked backward into the dirt by a strong pair of arms. Slater was on top of him, struggling to keep him down.
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