by Sandra Brown
He shouted over the noise, “Here, put this on.”
Katherine looked at the bright yellow helmet skeptically.
“Sorry. Mr. Manning’s rules. “He winked at her and plopped the hard hat on her head. He took Allison in his arms and carried her toward the trailer.
Katherine self-consciously climbed out of the jeep carrying her purse and Allison’s diaper bag. She could feel the furtive glances directed toward her, though the roughnecks continued working with deliberation. She didn’t try to distinguish Jim Cooper. The workmen had taken on the anonymity of an army. Were her jeans too tight, she wondered in panic, remembering what Jace had told her earlier.
The hard hat seemed like a ridiculously unnecessary precaution, but Jace had often referred to the strict rules he enforced at any site he worked on.
“Back in the thirties during the big boom in Texas men needed jobs desperately. They found work in the oil fields whether they were qualified or not. The wildcatters who hired them for peanuts didn’t care about the danger involved. They were only glad to have a supply of cheap labor.
“It wasn’t until later that safety regulations were put into effect. Unfortunately, many men were killed or seriously injured in unnecessary accidents. There’s always the risk of having an accident around any derrick, but I try to lower the odds of one happening by enforcing as many safety precautions as possible.” Apparently even his wife wasn’t exempt.
Jace now stood on the steps of the trailer and held the door for Katherine. When she glanced up at him, he smiled broadly. One would actually think he was proud of me, she thought.
“Katherine, meet Billy Jenkins. He’s mean and grouchy, bullheaded, coarse, and totally without scruples, but we’re used to him.”
Katherine took off the hard hat and looked at the man Jace had introduced to her in that unorthodox way. Billy was older than the other men. She wondered if Jace had assigned him duties in the trailer in deference to his age.
Billy’s sparse hair was gray and frizzy. His complexion was like a piece of dry, brown leather stretched over his facial bones. Deep lines etched his face like a roadmap. Bowed legs and a stocky torso made him appear even shorter in stature than he was.
He looked Katherine up and down several times. His perusal wasn’t lewd, just appreciative. “I want to know how a sweet, pretty little thing like you got hitched up with a goddamn slant-holer like him.” He indicated Jace with an impertinent jerk of his small, round head.
The insult referred to someone who drilled diagonally into another well. During the boom, this was a heinous crime, and the culprit was considered to be the lowest of creatures.
From behind her Katherine heard Jace’s deep, rumbling chuckle. “Are you just going to stand there insulting me, or are you going to get us something to drink?”
“Get it your own self. I want to see the baby.”
Katherine knew the source of their bantering was a mutual affection. Billy stepped up to Jace and took Allison out of his arms. The baby immediately reached for the red handkerchief in Billy’s shirt pocked and the old man laughed gleefully.
“That’s a girl. You know who your friends are, don’t you? You stick with old Billy, and you’ll have fun. Yes, you will. Let’s go over here and see something pretty.” Billy carried the mesmerized Allison to his littered desk, speaking to her in dulcet tones.
Katherine and Jace laughed. “Nothing will make a fool out of someone as quickly as a baby,” Jace said. He looked down at Katherine and winked. “Except maybe a beautiful woman. I thought I might be forced to defend your honor when Billy got a good look at you.”
“I was flattered,” she smiled. “I think he’s a perfect gentleman,” she said primly.
“What! That old reprobate? You glare at me every time I use language like he just did.”
“Yes, but that’s different.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not married to him. I’m married to you.”
He looked at her sternly, though the corners of his mouth twitched with suppressed mirth. “That’s right and don’t you ever forget it,” he growled.
They both laughed, and, impulsively, he reached out and hugged her close. Katherine was still breathless from the quick, tight embrace when he opened a rusted refrigerator and took out two cold drinks. Allison was happy sitting in Billy’s lap and basking in his ardent attention.
“Come over here,” Jace said. “I want to make you a proposition.” He gestured to a desk at the end of the trailer.
She followed him through the narrow confines, and he offered her the chair behind the desk. By comparison, it made Billy’s desk look neat. It was covered with charts, maps, and diagrams. She could only guess at what they represented, but was curious as to the proposition he had mentioned.
He reached over her shoulder and picked up a sheet of paper. Katherine supposed that some sort of message could be deciphered from the bold, slanted scrawl. “I got this memo from Willoughby. He’s the owner of Sunglow. I’ve referred to him.” At her nod, he went on.
“It seems that Willoughby is concerned about the current reputation of the oil companies. Windfall profits and all that. He’s resolved to do something about Sunglow’s public image. He managed to swing a deal with several television stations in the larger markets of Texas and Oklahoma—Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Oklahoma City among others. Sunglow will provide maintenance service and gasoline for all their news cars, mobile units, and the like in exchange for commercial time.”
He took a drink of his soda and asked, “Are you following? Feel free to interrupt. It took me a while to digest it.”
“Yes, I follow you, but—”
“Here comes the part that involves you. He needs someone to write the commercials. I recommended you.”
Katherine stared up at him stunned. “Me!” she shrieked. “Jace, I don’t know anything about—”
“Oil? You don’t have to. What Willoughby wants is public-service-type commercials taken from the consumer’s point of view. He wants to put forth the idea that Sunglow is concerned about the energy situation and is taking steps to rectify it and at the same time keep a tight rein on the price of gasoline. We need our reputation improved. You’ve had experience in public relations. You’ve written press releases. This’ll be a snap.”
“Is Sunglow really doing that though? I couldn’t lie.”
He looked almost pained before saying, “Katherine, I wouldn’t ask you to lie. Do you think I’d be affiliated with a company that was fleecing the public?”
She looked away from him. “No.” She gnawed the inside of her cheek, trying to think. It was such a fantastic opportunity! She could barely contain her excitement, yet, at the same time, there was so much to consider.
“I don’t think I could work here,” she mused aloud.
He laughed. “I should say not! I wouldn’t allow you to be ogled all day by that wild bunch out there! No way. I already have to face the fact that Cooper has the hots for you.” He moved to face her, leaning against the desk and crossing his ankles stretched out in front of him. By his wide smile she knew he was only teasing her about Jim.
“What I had in mind,” he continued, “was for you to work at home. I honestly feel that you should be at home with Allison during this critical time in her development. But I fully understand your need to work. You could set your own hours, work when you wanted to, but be there with her all day. How does that sound?”
“It would be wonderful, Jace. I worried about being away from her so much too, before… well, before we married.”
“Great. Then it’s all settled.”
“Wait! Let me think a minute.” In concentration she tapped her index finger against pursed lips. “Wouldn’t I have to work closely with the production crews?”
“Very good question. A television station in Houston is supplying us with production facilities. They’ll do all the dirty work after you turn over the scripts. If they should need you, they can always
call. Or if necessary, you could take the company plane down there for a day or two.”
“Oh, Jace, it sounds too good to be true.”
“It’s only a matter of your wanting to do it. I know you’re qualified.” He stroked her cheek gently and smiled at her confidently. “Shall I call Willoughby and tell him he’s got a new employee?”
She hesitated only an instant then clapped her hands. “Yes, Yes!”
* * *
Katherine and Jace agreed to stay and share lunch with the roughnecks. One of them had driven into town and bought hamburgers and french fries. After her noon bottle of milk, Allison seemed content to snooze in the crook of Billy’s arm. He was impervious to the ribbing he received from his cohorts.
The drill bit rumbled as it ate its way through earth and rock, and the throbbing motor that propelled it deep into the ground kept up a cadence that Katherine was sure would drive her mad if she had to listen to it for hours on end. But the roughnecks were oblivious to the noise as they rapidly consumed a tremendous amount of food.
They sat on the ground or in pick-up truck beds, or stood in small groups. There was much jocularity among them. Sometimes their language became ribald, but Katherine felt that it had been cleaned up considerably on her behalf.
When everyone was finished eating, Jace shouted above the noise, “What in the hell is going on here? Do you think because I’ve brought my wife to meet you that you can slough off the rest of the day? Everyone back to work. The picnic’s over.” His voice sounded stern, but he was smiling. There were grumbles and grimaces, but all of them ambled back to their jobs. Many of them saluted obsequiously or spoke shyly to Katherine as they passed her. Jim Cooper smiled broadly at her from under his hard hat, but hustled back to work when Jace glared at him through squinting eyes.
The Manning family left a short time later. When they were climbing the stairs to the front door of the apartment, Jace said, “You’ll get a package from Willoughby in the next few days. He’s going to send some material that you may find useful. It will include a lot of dry facts and figures, but some human interest stories too.”
“I’m anxious to get started.” She paused with her hand on the banister. “I almost forgot. I’ll have to notify someone at the college that I’m not coming back, won’t I?”
Jace stood aside and let her go in ahead of him after he opened the door. He was grinning mysteriously, and she detected a glint in his blue eyes. A moment later she knew why he was so pleased with himself.
Resting on a new desk parked in the middle of the living room was a new electric typewriter. Katherine squealed in delight and spun her head around to look at him in surprise. “For me?” she cried.
“No, for Allison,” he said dryly.
She ignored his derision and hurried across the room to inspect the splendid piece of machinery. It had every conceivable gadget, an automatic correcting system, and features that would intimidate Katherine before she learned how to use them.
“Oh, Jace, it’s wonderful. I… when?”
“I bought it two days ago and asked that it be delivered while we were gone. I wanted it to be a surprise. Do you like it?”
“Like it? It’s a writer’s dream. If you could see—” She broke off when a thought occurred to her. She looked at him through slitted green eyes. “You were pretty confident that I’d accept your job, weren’t you?”
He laughed. “I hoped you would.”
She tried to remain miffed, but couldn’t, and broke into an exultant smile. “I should be mad at you for taking me for granted, but I can’t be. Thank you, Jace, for everything. The job. The typewriter. Everything.” She felt humbled and ashamed that she had ever doubted his motives.
“Come here and thank me properly. With a kiss.” He was staring hard at her, his easy smile gone.
Suddenly unnerved by his tone of voice, Katherine forced her reluctant legs to walk toward him. He had taken Allison from her when she had rushed across the room to inspect her gift. The baby lay contentedly in his arms. Katherine stood on tiptoes and raised her lips to his cheek, kissing it lightly.
He frowned as she pulled back. “That’s not a kiss. This is a kiss.”
He leaned down and captured her mouth with his. Unable to hold her in his arms because of Allison, he used other means. The force of his kiss was far stronger and more compelling than any physical hold could have been.
His firm lips moved over hers with tantalizing non-commitment. He nibbled at her lower lip until Katherine opened it to permit him entry. Still he refrained, exploring her lips with a lazy tongue.
She moaned and moved closer, clasping him around the neck with both hands and forcing his head lower. Only then did he satisfy her longing. His mouth took hers with a sweet violence. His kiss made her body sing with sensations that touched her soul.
With a detached part of her brain, Katherine asked herself how he was able to so effortlessly render her completely helpless. How does he command my senses so totally? I mustn’t surrender to what I’m feeling. But I want to. I want him.
These thoughts raced through her mind even as she drank the nectar of his mouth. Then Jace moved his head and discovered a new region of her mouth to explore, and all other thoughts were banished.
Katherine felt the pummeling fists on her chest and only then did she realize that Allison was crushed between them. She dropped her arms from Jace’s neck and slowly backed away.
They looked down at the offended baby lying between them. The infant face crumpled in indignation, and Allison began to squall loudly.
“Now look what we’ve done,” Jace said. Placatingly, he raised Allison to his shoulder and patted her back. “Come on, princess, I’ll make it all up to you.” As he went into the kitchen, he said over his shoulder, “I’ll feed her. You play with your new toy.”
Katherine didn’t argue. She sat at the new desk and picked up the instruction booklet.
“This manual looks like an encyclopedia,” she called into the kitchen. “I’m going to have to study for hours before I’ll feel adequate to even turn the typewriter on.”
“You can handle it,” Jace called back.
Almost an hour had passed before Katherine was roused from her absorption in the instruction manual. Jace was carrying Allison through the living room on the way to her bedroom. “She’s fed. I even managed to get most of that disgusting-looking stuff in her mouth. She kept me company while I made a batch of my famous spaghetti sauce. Is that okay with you?”
“Sounds delicious.”
“It needs to simmer for a while. You stay where you are and I’ll put Allison to bed.”
By the time he finished the sentence, Katherine was again bent over the typewriter, lost in its many intricacies.
A startled cry of pain jolted her out of her diligent study. She dropped the heavy book and ran toward the bedroom.
Chapter Nine
Katherine swung open the door and flew into the room. It was empty. She stared at the vacant crib stupidly until she heard another sharp gasp and a vicious “Ouch!” before realizing that Jace’s cries were coming from the bathroom.
Katherine hurried to the doorway. She halted abruptly, frozen in astonishment.
Jace and Allison were in the bathtub. The contrast of Allison’s smooth, white bottom against Jace’s dark, hair-matted chest was startling. Even more startling to Katherine was the sight of Jace’s naked body submerged in the warm water as he reclined in the bathtub. Even his knees, raised to accommodate his long body in the short tub, didn’t screen his masculinity from her amazed and involuntarily curious eyes.
“Oh, Katherine, thank God. Help me.” Jace winced in pain, and, for the first time, she noted the source of his distress.
Allison was lying on her stomach along his chest. Each of her tiny, plump fists was clamped around a handful of the hair on Jace’s chest. In her excitement over finding this rare new toy, Allison’s fists were clenching tighter each second. Her small legs were kicking against hi
s flat stomach in delight.
Katherine swallowed the large lump that was blocking her breathing passages and murmured, “I’ll just get her off…” She leaned down and grasped the wet, wriggling body around her chubby waist.
“No!” Jace exclaimed in panic. “If you do that, I’ll be depilated, and that tends to smart.”
Katherine looked at the tiny fingers which seemed helplessly enmeshed in the dark hair and saw that he was right.
“What—?” she started to ask.
“See if you can unwind the hair from around her fingers. I’m afraid to let go of her. She’s as slippery as an eel.”
Katherine closed her eyes for a moment and drew a deep, restorative breath. Then she knelt down beside the bathtub. She worked the small fingers of Allison’s hand until they relaxed and released their grip on the crisp, wet curls. When the first fist was free, Jace reached up and grasped it, holding it away from him.
Katherine worked with the other fist, leaning over his body in order to see what she was doing. She refused to feel the breath that stirred her hair as her head was bent close to his chin.
Finally, Jace was free from Allison’s painful grip, but instead of handing her over to an anxious Katherine, he quickly stood up with the baby still in his arms.
“I ought to spank you for that, young lady,” Jace chided Allison. “From now on when we take a bath together, I’ll wear a T-shirt.”
Immodestly, he walked naked into the bedroom, still carrying Allison and drying her with a soft towel. He ignored Katherine after saying “Thanks, honey” over his retreating shoulder.
Katherine skirted by him as she went through the bedroom. He was dressing Allison in her pajamas as he leaned over the crib. His taut hips were only one shade lighter than his broad, smooth back. They tapered from his narrow waist into long, muscled thighs. Katherine hurried through the door into the living room.
She fumbled with the manual which a few moments ago had so engrossed her and her trembling hand had dropped it on the floor before Katherine placed it beside the typewriter. She couldn’t resume studying. Of that she was certain. Her eyes weren’t able to focus properly. She kept seeing the image of Jace as he lay back in the bathtub.