Rock and A Hard Place (Cascade Brides Series)

by Blythe, Bonnie

  Chapter Five

  For someone who has something to hide, could I be more transparent?

  Faith frowned at her reflection in the mirror that evening. She'd finally figured out what had gotten under her skin and it wasn't just the adorable blonde in the lookout. It was the fact that the adorable blonde was also in college. Which meant she'd graduated high school. Like normal people.

  Faith yanked the comb through her wet hair after a shower. Not having a college education was bad enough in her precarious job situation. Not having a high school diploma was a death knell. But to take GED classes without Merle's knowledge? I might as well dig my vinyl shoes from the back of the closet where I left the rest of my hopes and dreams.

  A familiar shame rose within her. Every year that passed, it got worse. Dropping out of high school hadn't been a choice, but a necessity. And it was a necessity to keep the knowledge from Merle. Of course he'd be understanding and supportive if he knew—probably more than most, but she felt she'd be diminished in his eyes. Like she needed that now.

  Faith tried to dismiss the gloomy notion and settled in front of her laptop. It was new and powerful and she had yet to run it through all its paces. The sleek design contrasted with the rustic décor of the rental she called home—a lot of wood and some dried flower arrangements. Plaid couches and overstuffed chairs separated the living room from the small dining space where she worked—all of which was already here when she moved in. She wasn't as good at 3-D design as she was at the 2-D kind, so she hadn't changed any of the furnishings. But her laptop, now that she understood. If she played her cards right, it could be her key to a better future for Bascombe's and ultimately for her.

  Using a new, more powerful software, she began editing the alpine flower photos. Shane's words came to mind about native plants. Had he just been waxing poetic about the meadow? Either way, the notion of a flower blooming where no one might see it intrigued her. Could she turn it into a hook to draw especially female hikers to the area? That there was all this hidden beauty just waiting to be enjoyed?

  She spent the next several hours putting together an entire brochure slanted toward the female traveler. Every bit of text and editing was done as if she didn't have a boss to please. Faith ran the photos through different filters and made it as appealing to her audience as possible without being too frou-frou. She targeted the outdoorsy type of girl, and pulled in other photos from past shoots.

  When she was done, Faith sat back, satisfied. Would Merle like it? As savvy as he was, he still was hesitant to upgrade his business too quickly after years of doing things a certain way. It had taken some convincing to get a website up, but it had been wildly successful. She knew it was hard for him to understand how fast things moved these days, and yet the website generated daily inquiries and had an impressive amount of visitors from all over the world.

  In addition to maintaining the website, Faith had worked on getting Bascombe brochures into every motel and hotel, travel lodge, and rest area in the state. She'd also convinced him to write a weekly column in the local paper about John Day history over the years through his eyes...complete with links to the website. Business had doubled over the last five years due to her efforts.

  Yet she still felt the weight of her lack of a diploma.

  And now she had Mr. College Degree Photographer Family Member to compete with. Faith sank lower in the chair, wishing she could generate confidence like she could a brochure on the computer. Then again, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

  Ugh. She despised that saying—one she'd heard over and over from her mother. How many dreams had been deflated, how many hopes crushed by that phrase? After a time, Faith had discontinued sharing such things with her mother, and lost faith in herself that she'd ever be able to achieve much of anything.

  The name her mother had bestowed on her had turned into a twisted irony.

  Faith forced her thoughts from her failures and examined her smarting ankle. The swelling had gone down and over-the-counter medication kept the worst of the pain at bay, but she'd over-worked it. “Sorry, ankle, I was just trying to get the job done to keep the rest of me together.”

  Her ankle didn't respond, which was actually a good thing. Shaking her head at her silliness, Faith saved her work and forwarded it to her office computer to show Merle the next day.

  For once, she went to bed with a hopeful feeling in her heart.

  ***

  Shane knew he should just drive right past his uncle's storefront. It wasn't like he needed to pop in every single day. He lived in the same town. He was attending the same church. But Shane's foot slipped from the gas pedal and his hand hit the turn indicator anyway. As he slowed to a stop in front of the building, he took stock of his behavior. As much as he'd love to admit he was here to see his uncle, he knew the real reason was Faith. Her Nissan was pulled up along one side of the building next to the house she rented from Merle. He wondered how she felt living so close to her work. Was it a boon in savings not having to commute? Or did she ever have a hard time letting go of the daily grind when a reminder of her boss was just out her window?

  Of course he could ask Faith, but he doubted she would answer. Shane shook his head and pulled open the door.

  The bell above the door heralded his arrival. Merle and Faith looked up at his entrance from where they were gazing at the computer screen.

  “Shane! Great to see you!” Merle said, crossing the room to shake his hand. “Faith, Shane is here.”

  “I see that,” she said with a quirk to her lips.

  Her eyes sparkled with humor and he was glad she seemed to be in a better frame of mind than the last time they were together. Maybe her ankle had healed.

  “Come on over and see what Faith has been up to. She's designed a brochure for a particular demographic instead of the usual broad-based ones we put out for a local tourism company we have on account. They give us quite a bit of leeway with our designs as they've been a client going on ten years, but this is something a little different.”

  Shane noticed a slight reddening of Faith's cheeks as he approached the computer. He looked at the monitor and saw the reason for Merle's exuberance. The photos glowed and the text flowed around the images for a whimsical effect. “It looks fantastic,” he said, truly impressed.

  “Thank you,” she said quietly, lowering her gaze.

  “I didn't know you were a graphic artist as well as a photographer.”

  Her eyes flashed up at him. “I'm not either one of those things.”

  Before he could respond to such a strange remark, Merle spoke up.

  “At first I didn't see the need for such a targeted product, but Faith showed me dozens of organizations and clubs that could be interested in this kind of design. She even has it ready to go online.”

  Shane looked back at the brochure then at Merle. “I'm surprised you haven't done that already. You need to harness the power of the Internet.”

  The older man shook his head. “That's what Faith keeps telling me. Guess I'm still stuck in past, but I'm so busy as all get out, I'm not sure I can keep up with any increase in business.”

  A shadow darkened Faith's eyes as she looked away. Shane wondered why. “In this economy, it's a good thing.”

  “You're right, you're right,” Merle said, a smile peeking out from under his mustache. “So what are your plans today?”

  Shane shoved his hands in his pockets, too late realizing the gesture made him look nervous. “Still familiarizing myself with the district. Didn't know if Faith wanted to tag along for some shots. Maybe she can help me find some of the obscure back roads.” Great. Talk about her like she's not there. Smooth, Zadopec.

  “Faith has a lot of office work to catch up on today,” Faith said, pinning him with a droll look. “And I'm
pretty sure the ranger station has updated maps.”

  He sent her a chagrined smile and pulled his hands from his pockets. “Just let me know anytime you want to get a lift.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Shane glanced at Merle who seemed to sense his discomfiture if his wide grin was any indication. Stifling a groan, Shane turned and headed for the door. He only trusted himself with a quick wave as he left the office. If he opened his mouth again he'd undoubtedly end up sounding like a stammering schoolboy. Maybe there was something up with the air this high in the mountains.

  “Well, that was interesting,” Faith said as she watched Shane's Jeep pull out of the parking lot.

  “My nephew seemed struck all of a heap,” Merle said. “Maybe he's more interested in his uncle's employee than his uncle.”

  Faith primmed her lips. “No doubt he's not yet used to the smaller amount of oxygen in the mountain air. He'll get used to it.” She looked back at her computer. “At any rate, he liked the brochure.” She held her breath, hoping Merle wasn't just impressed without intending to take any action. The cost of printing could be prohibitive for a project on spec and adding a new targeted brochure wasn't a simple decision. Was there enough of a market for it? Did his nephew's opinion hold any sway? Was she two-faced to hope it might?

  Merle stroked his mustache, apparently weighing the same considerations. “Tell you what we'll do. This will be a trial run for targeted brochures. Go ahead and post what you have online at the sites you've selected. Then let's go with a small print run for the local places and some specific mailings. If we see an uptick in interest from that demographic, we'll know it was successful and go from there.”

  Faith swallowed back a surge of grateful emotion. “Thank you, Merle. And would it be okay if I continue using the design software? I can upload it directly to the printer's website instead of doing a physical mock-up.” She bit her lip, wondering if she was pushing too hard. At least she'd rather the suggestions for improvement come from her this time instead of Shane.

  The older man sighed. “I see you're trying to put me out of a job.”

  Before Faith could protest, he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I'm just jesting, young lady. But I have to wonder if soon I'll be nothing more than eye candy for Bascombe Productions.”

  “Eye candy, yes,” she said, keeping her tone light. “Outsourced, no way.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, do it your way, Faith, and keep me posted on the numbers.”

  “You got it.”

  He squeezed her shoulder and headed back to his office. Faith slowly scooted forward in her chair. Round one was done. She whispered a prayer of thanks, wishing she could hold onto this feeling of accomplishment. It was much better than the sting of not measuring up. Now she just had to figure out a way to top today...tomorrow.

  “Heading out now. You gonna lock up?”

  Shane looked up from his desk and saw Shirley, the office administrator reaching for her purse. Her bright red hair—at her age most likely not bestowed by nature—was a colorful counterpoint to the ranger station décor which consisted of geological wall maps, nature photography, and utilitarian government-issue office furniture.

  “You bet. See you tomorrow.”

  She sent him a breezy smile and headed out the door.

  Shane rubbed the back of his neck. Hunching over the office computer cramped his style—literally. But for every mile he traversed on forest lands, there were piles of paperwork and spreadsheets to complete. It was the price he paid for working in the great outdoors—working indoors. He saved and closed his document, then moved to shut down the computer for the night.

  Faith's image rose in his mind. On impulse, he went to his uncle's website. Sure enough the new brochure was up. This time he could peruse it completely instead of just getting a glimpse of the cover. That Faith had talent was obvious. She had a good eye for color and composition, but he knew there were a few tweaks she could make to take her work to the next level. The question was, would she feel threatened by it? And why was he fairly sure she would be? Enthusiasts liked to share tips with each other, but somehow Shane knew Faith would stiffen up at any suggestions—just like she did when he recommended the filter for her cougar photo.

  He was certain she wanted to be the best at what she did, so why avoid an opportunity to learn something knew? He didn't think she was so immature as to refuse all help as a matter of form. So what was it then? The only scenario that fit was Faith felt threatened by him. Which didn't make a lick of sense. He went all loopy around her, so intimidation just wasn't a possibility.

  While the question plagued him to no end, the upside was that he'd have to spend that much more time with her to figure it out.

  He smiled to himself at the hardships ahead. Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

  Chapter Six

  The following Sunday, Shane's plan was yet again nearly thwarted. Faith was a no-show. Until he saw her at the end of the service. He spotted her glossy brown hair across the lobby as other churchgoers filtered out of the sanctuary.

  Shane took the moment before she saw him to enjoy the picture she made. As much as he found her work wardrobe appealing there was no denying she cleaned up really well. Her usual camp shirt and worn Levis had been replaced with a pretty summery dress. He headed in her direction.

  She turned and smiled up at him with only the slightest hint of coolness.

  “Missed you in the service,” he said in a teasing voice. “Helping in the nursery again?”

  “Um, not the nursery,” she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, “this time it was helping in the kitchen with a potluck for the seniors later this afternoon.”

  “Ah.” He cleared his throat. “It must be difficult working around all that food and abstaining. You should let me take you to lunch to rectify that.”

  Her brows inched up as she considered his words. “Will Merle be coming?”

  “He, uh, said he needed to attend to something...else.” He'd last seen Merle chatting up a lovely lady of similar years in the sanctuary after the service.

  “I'm sorry I missed him.”

  “He said to say hello.” Which Merle did, before his attention went wandering toward the pretty lady. Must be something in the spring air. Shane broadened his smile, wondering what Faith really thought of him. Maybe today he'd find out. “So what do you say about lunch?”

  Faith scanned the crowd. “Sure you don't want to get to know the other folks here? There are lots of fascinating people. Wouldn't want you to feel pinned down to just one or two.”

  He couldn't let her get out of it that easily. “It's just lunch, Faith. You don't even have to speak to me while we eat.”

  Her mouth twitched. “Okay, but next week, I challenge you to pick a new person. You wouldn't want to hedge your bets, would you?”

  “Alas, I'm not a gambling man, Miss Conrad.”

  Her skepticism turned to a genuine smile. “Alright. I'm ready when you are.”

  He held out his arm.

  Up went her brows again. “Are you serious?”

  “Just being courteous.”

  She seemed to be smothering a smile. “I think I'll be okay.”

  Shane allowed her to precede him through the lobby. Faith smiled and sent small waves to two or three people but he found himself surprised she didn't seem to have any close friends of her own age. At least at church. A few of the men her age watched her go with longing looks—looks that reflected rejection. Which probably meant they'd asked her out and they'd been turned down. He could see it in their eyes.

  As much as he hated to admit it, it fit the profile of the woman he was getting to know. Faith wasn't shy, she simply seemed to be avoiding meaningful relationships. Shane knew from ch
atting with Merle that they didn't spend time together that wasn't work related. What did Faith do at Thanksgiving? At Christmas? Why did she want to remain so alone?

  What was she so afraid of?

  Once they were in the parking lot, Shane led the way to his Jeep.

  “I saw a lunch café on the main drag. Does that sound okay?”

  She nodded and climbed up into the vehicle with ease despite heeled sandals.

  “How's the ankle?”

  “Better. A few days in the office gave it a break.”

  “I saw your brochure online.” He felt his ears grow hot at the admission, but soldiered on. “Any response from the world wide web?”

  “Actually yes. The client got a few calls and emails. There's one womens writing group who are now planning to host their retreat in Wheeler County because of it.”

  “That's great!”

  “Thanks. I'm glad Merle let me do it. He's been having a hard time joining the twenty-first century technology-wise. He still even does the accounting in a ledger by hand. At least he uses a cell phone these days.”

  “Yeah, I've noticed that the smaller the town, sometimes there's a lag in getting up to speed. But a lot of people prefer the slower pace and just aren't interested in ramping it up.”

  “That's true and I think it's great—unless you're running a business that requires a fresh infusion of capitol.”

  He headed out onto the highway. “Can't disagree there. So has technology been good for my uncle's business?”

  A light went out of Faith's face.

  He frowned at the abrupt change. What did I say?

  She looked out the window. “It's...definitely getting a bump via the Internet.”

  Shane hated it that he'd said something that upset her, but he couldn't imagine what it was. He pulled into a parking spot near the café. Faith remained silent as they exited the Jeep and headed inside the restaurant.