The Man from Montana

by Julianna Morris

  The thought of guiding as a career held an appeal, but she also loved creating sustainable landscapes for people, and then going home to tend her own garden each evening. She had fruit trees and grew masses of vegetables, herbs and flowers through most of the year. It was a point of pride to share boxes of produce and fruit with her family and everyone at Alderman Pool Company. Friends teased and said she was a farmer at heart.

  But Clay didn’t spend many nights at home during his busy seasons. He led more groups than any of his employees, and the rest of the time he ran the company. It was a 24/7 commitment. So in his own way, he was just as much of a workaholic as he’d described his father.

  She yawned and recalled Clay’s warning to conserve her energy. It was easy to understand. Adrenaline and anticipation took a toll. And what about cases where rescues weren’t successful? The weight of failure must land especially hard on a new volunteer, though she was sure it affected everyone in a search, no matter how much experience they possessed.

  Was that how Clay had felt when Renee had been found?

  Perhaps one day she’d be able to ask.

  * * *

  CLAY GLANCED AT his companions. They both appeared to be asleep, so he turned off the small camp light and settled down, knowing he needed to wake every hour to check on Aiden.

  Emergency Services would have tried to find a safe landing spot if the teenager’s condition had been critical. But he seemed to have adequate circulation in his feet and toes, despite the diabetes and his leg being broken and trapped. He’d also kept his head together enough to monitor his blood sugar and use his glucose and protein tablets properly. Because of it, nobody needed to risk their lives to pull him out. Landing a helicopter at night in the forest was rarely attempted—it was too difficult to spot snags and other hazards.

  Clay put his head back and contemplated the space around the campsite, his respect rising even higher for the teenager. It must have been unnerving to lie here for two nights, unable to move and wondering if this small clearing would be the last thing he’d ever see. Even an outdoor expert would have found it challenging to stay calm.

  While Clay didn’t expect to have children of his own, a kid like Aiden would make a mother and father proud.

  As for Tessa?

  Clay frowned. She could make serious trouble for the company, but his brother and nephew were his most pressing concern.

  If Tessa filed a lawsuit over her sister’s death, Andrew would probably be named in the suit because he’d also been present on the whitewater raft as a representative of the company. And Mallory would undoubtedly use that in a custody battle, or in a bid for another large payoff.

  The more Clay thought about it, the angrier he got.

  Tessa probably could sue his company, whether or not she believed he’d been negligent, but she didn’t have any right to interfere with his family’s well-being. It would kill Andrew to lose his son, especially to the selfish mother who’d already put Derry’s life in danger.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THE NEXT MORNING Tessa woke at dawn to find Clay in a lousy mood. He was pleasant to Aiden, but kept looking at her with a cold, narrow expression, barely saying anything beyond terse, one-syllable responses.

  Well, fine.

  A part of her was finding him more appealing than was comfortable, so maybe it was better to see this side of his nature. But why had he turned into a surly bear overnight? She hadn’t messed up or held him back during the search.

  A helicopter flew overhead once it was light enough to find and evaluate a landing site, but Aiden became agitated when he saw the rescue craft.

  Brow furrowed, Clay did a blood-glucose test and examined him carefully to ensure nothing was going wrong.

  “Are you okay?” Tessa asked Aiden.

  “I can’t stop thinking about Skeeter. Skeeter,” Aiden yelled, as he’d done many times that morning and the evening before. They’d joined in, as well, trying to convince him to conserve his strength and let them do the calling.

  “I’ll search for Skeeter when you’re safe,” she promised.

  “I’m safe now. He’s a black Labrador with a red collar, and friendly to everyone. His leash was still on him when he disappeared into the brush.” Aiden handed her a crumpled piece of red cloth. “He usually wears this, so it has his scent. I took it off when he got overheated the other day.”

  Clay gave her a warning glance as she accepted the bandana, then he clasped the teenager’s shoulder. “I’m afraid dogs don’t do well out here alone, Aiden. You mustn’t get your hopes up. Besides, the pilot will want us to fly out with you. We can spread the word that there’s a lost dog in this area and ask hikers to keep watch.”

  Tessa didn’t care what the pilot wanted, she was going to look for the missing animal. She tucked the bandana in a pocket, though without having a dog trained to follow a scent, it wouldn’t be useful.

  The rescue team arrived an hour after the helicopter had flown over. They wore broad smiles at seeing Aiden and gave him an honorary ball cap with the Elk County Search and Rescue insignia on the crown. One was a physician, Dr. Molvar. Four of the others wore the blue-and-white Star of Life on their jumpsuits to show they were emergency medical personnel, and the sixth member of the team introduced himself as a deputy sheriff.

  Clay gave Dr. Molvar a rundown of what he’d done for Aiden, then the doctor performed his own examination.

  “You’re in good shape, Aiden. Since you don’t have a concussion, I’m going to give you a shot for the pain before we put you in the stretcher,” Dr. Molvar explained, reaching into his medical pack. “We’ll fly directly to the hospital helipad.”

  “I don’t need a shot. My leg hurts, but it isn’t too bad.”

  “Do you have an allergy, or a history of addiction you’re worried about?”

  Aiden’s eyes widened. “No allergies and Mom would kill me if I did drugs, and Dad would only help her.”

  A chuckle circled around the rescuers at the teenager’s hyperbole. Tessa had heard enough about Aiden’s parents to know they were concerned and loving. While they hadn’t been thrilled about him taking time off from college, they seem to have understood that after all the restrictions of growing up with diabetes, he’d needed to get away and be independent for a while. To feel like everyone else his age.

  “I still think you should have something for the pain,” the doctor told him. “It has nothing to do with your diabetes, but we have to carry you over uneven terrain and it’s going to be tough. We’re already impressed with how you managed out here by yourself. You don’t need to be an iron man.”

  “All right,” Aiden agreed reluctantly.

  The tense lines around his mouth eased as the medication took hold. Tessa suspected he’d been in more discomfort than he’d wanted to admit.

  Because the helicopter was in the general direction where Skeeter had disappeared, she hiked with the others as they carried Aiden in the basket stretcher, carefully noting landmarks and features of the terrain. She had a compass and her GPS unit, but it was smart to be cautious.

  Clay stayed behind to conceal the signs of their presence at the impromptu campsite, then quickly caught up.

  At the helicopter, the squad loaded the stretcher while Tessa and Clay sorted out Aiden’s belongings and returned them to his backpack. Clay handed it to someone inside, then turned and signaled her forward. She shook her head.

  He stomped toward her and Molly leaped out to follow. “You need to get on board, Tessa. The chances of Aiden’s dog being found at this point are practically zero.”

  “I don’t believe it’s impossible, so I’m going to try, while you get back and take care of your business. Besides, you’ve been in such a lousy mood this morning, I’d rather take my chances with a grizzly bear.”

  “Oh, for pity’s sake.” He turned and made an upward spiraling signal wi
th his hand and index finger. The waiting crewman shrugged and lowered Clay’s backpack to the ground, then closed the door and the helicopter lifted off.

  Great.

  He was staying?

  When the helicopter was some distance away and the noise had decreased, she crossed her arms. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bugging you today. Even more than yesterday, and you weren’t that much of a picnic then, either.”

  * * *

  “LET ME THINK, I guess it has something to do with you being Renee Claremont’s twin sister and getting a job at Carson Outdoor Adventures in order to make trouble for my family,” Clay exploded, unable to contain himself.

  Tessa’s eyes darkened and her chin rose. “Why would you assume something like that? What sort of person do you think I am?”

  “Why else would you apply for a job with me?”

  “Because I want to understand why my sister, who disliked being outdoors, died in a river fourteen hundred miles from her family. I want peace at night and to stop wondering if I failed her in some horrible way. I want my mother to stop crying in her office behind a closed door because she’s grieving so hard and doesn’t want us to know, and my father to smile and laugh the way he used to. I want the family to celebrate the holidays without feeling there’s a huge, aching hole in the middle.” Her voice rose with every sentence until she was practically screaming at him.

  Clay’s chest tightened at the pain in her face. “The solution isn’t here, Tessa.”

  “It isn’t at home, either. I thought if I could just be in her shoes for a while, I might figure out something. Or...I don’t know. But staying in Tucson wasn’t helping. When Renee died, it was as if half of me got ripped away. Wouldn’t you want answers if our situations were reversed?”

  Tessa swallowed hard, the anguish in her face impossible to doubt. Clay was close to Andrew and his sister—he would feel the same as Tessa.

  “How did you find out, anyway?” she asked.

  “Because you told the sheriff’s office that you wanted to see the full accident report. Sheriff Maitland is the search coordinator. He told me who you really were when I gave him your name yesterday.”

  Tessa seemed to regain some of her composure, irritation overcoming the grief in her expression. “Who I really am? I’m really Tessa Alderman. Renee kept her ex-husband’s name when she got divorced. I didn’t hide it, I just didn’t tell you about my sister. That isn’t a crime, it’s an omission at worst.”

  “An omission?” he repeated incredulously.

  “Yes. And by the way, I never planned to ask for a job, I simply needed an explanation when you wanted to know if I was from that computer company. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Who would have guessed you’d turn around and hire a total stranger?”

  “You still accepted the job. Fine, poke through my records. Observe the ranch all you like.”

  Tessa threw up her hands. “That isn’t what I’ve been doing. I’ve never looked at anything that wasn’t part of my responsibilities. I haven’t snooped or pried and I’ve tried to earn my keep. But I quit. I’ll leave as soon as we get back.”

  “No, I want you to stay.”

  Even as the words came out of his mouth, Clay wondered if he’d lost all of his reason. Yet, after a night of sleep and some belated reflection, he didn’t think Tessa planned to cause damage to his family, a conclusion he would have reached sooner if he hadn’t been so worried about Andrew and Derry. The thought of Mallory returning still didn’t sit well with him. Either way, ordering Tessa off the property could look as if he had something to conceal, which he didn’t.

  “I can’t remain at the ranch now,” Tessa asserted.

  “Yes, you can. You’re a decent guide, or will be once you learn the trails and more about the area. The clients like and trust you. Your instincts are excellent and you relate to them well. The short hike you handled by yourself the other day was a big success.”

  She gave him a wry smile. “It must be killing you to say that.”

  “I’m just being honest. All I ask is that you’re honest in return.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “At the risk of adding fuel to the fire, I wasn’t dishonest. We can debate the rights and wrongs of harmless lies, but it wasn’t even that. Haven’t you ever kept something private for a good reason?”

  In light of his brother’s supposed engagement, the question hit uncomfortably close to home. Clay knew he’d have to evaluate the implications later, including Tessa’s “omissions,” but she hadn’t said yes or no to remaining and it seemed important to get the matter settled.

  “Everyone has things they keep private,” he said. “Shall I assume you’re going to continue working for Carson Outdoor Adventures?”

  “I suppose. I’m homesick for the desert and my family, but I don’t think about Renee quite as much up here. Whether that’s good or bad is hard to say.”

  “Maybe it means you’re moving on, or at least moving forward. Being stuck in the past doesn’t seem like a healthy way to live. Stay,” Clay urged. “We can talk about your sister or whatever you need, and you can try to sort things out. It’s the least I can do. As you said, I’d want answers in your place.”

  The churning emotions in her eyes were hard to read, and he suspected she wouldn’t be able to explain them herself. He couldn’t imagine how awful it would be to lose a sibling, much less a twin.

  “I’ll remain in the bunkhouse since it isn’t displacing anyone,” Tessa said finally. “And I want to help wherever possible. But I can’t be an employee. It didn’t sit well before, and would be worse now. I’ll be a volunteer or intern, like the programs they have in some state and national parks.”

  “Private companies can’t accept free labor.”

  “Then consider me paid through the value of trips, eating at the ranch barbecues and my lodging. I can be a private contractor, not an employee, with payment-in-kind.”

  Clay would need to speak with the payroll company who took care of his paperwork to make sure he didn’t break any rules, but Tessa’s solution could work. Besides, as a regular employee, she might not be comfortable talking to him openly, and that’s what he wanted.

  “Right now we should be looking for Skeeter,” Tessa added.

  He sighed, worried about her despite his reservations. “You should prepare yourself, Tessa. The chances are poor for finding any trace of him.”

  “They’re worse if we don’t look at all. Maybe you can’t understand, but I need to finish the search. Besides, I read about three Australian shepherds that got lost outside Elk Point and were found weeks later, miles and miles from where they started. Tired and hungry, but in okay condition. It could happen with Skeeter. Miracles happen every day if we’re willing to see them. And sometimes they just need a little help.”

  Clay heaved a breath. He suspected Tessa was an optimist to her core, despite her grief and the struggle to understand what had happened to her sister.

  He’d heard the story about the dogs being found and had thought it was a one-in-a-billion chance. Of course, the sooner they started searching, the better the odds were of success.

  He went over to retrieve his backpack from where the helicopter crew had left it. “All right, let’s get going. Give me that scarf that Skeeter was wearing so I can let Molly take a sniff.”

  Clay hated that Tessa’s answering smile made him feel good. She confounded him. Last night he’d been ready to order her off the ranch, alarmed at the potential damage she could do to Andrew and Derry, yet now he was insisting she stay. He didn’t think it was entirely due to her appeal as a woman, though that could be part of it.

  For him, beauty was more than a pretty face. It was humor and wit, compassion and integrity. Intelligence was far more appealing to him than a woman’s external appearance. Tessa was smart and her sense of humor was genuine, if dampened by grief. Her compassio
n also wasn’t in doubt.

  But he had to be careful because the situation with Andrew’s ex-wife remained problematic and he didn’t want to take any chances. As far as they knew, Mallory hadn’t returned to the Carson Double C, but she’d gotten a job at a restaurant in Elk Point and was sharing an apartment with three other seasonal servers. The family often heard news about her from friends in town.

  Because she was still around, presumably watching the situation, Andrew and Jillian had announced their supposed engagement in the newspaper. The phones had been ringing constantly with people congratulating them.

  “Skeeter,” Tessa called, breaking into Clay’s less-than-comforting thoughts.

  They headed toward the last place Aiden had seen his dog, calling and listening the way they’d called and listened for his owner the day before. Every few minutes Clay let Molly smell the oversize red bandana.

  “She seems to understand,” Tessa said as Molly darted back and forth, sniffing the ground and the air.

  “She’s trained to follow scents, though tracking isn’t a skill she uses that often. But whatever else, we need to get on an established trail as soon as possible. It’s one thing to leave the trail this much to save someone’s life, another to risk a second accident or emergency.”

  * * *

  TESSA UNDERSTOOD. CLAY was a fierce protector of the wilderness, and being off a defined trail for more than basic needs was contrary to his instincts...contrary to her own instincts, for that matter.

  But Aiden loved and felt responsible for his canine friend, and losing Skeeter would haunt him for a long time. So to her, being off the trail was absolutely necessary.

  It wasn’t that she thought Clay didn’t care about animals. He even provided a home for horses too old to work. They lazily grazed in the ranch pastures and had a snug stable to keep them comfortable in harsh weather. It spoke well of him. Still, she supposed a strong element of practicality was required for someone who challenged the great outdoors so often. Skeeter could be miles from where he’d first chased those deer, and in any direction. The odds of two people finding him on foot were small.