Not even thinking about what she was doing, she ran back to Nate’s cabin where most of her clothes were, quickly changed her flour covered clothes, grabbed his keys and was out the door. Before she knew it, she was pulling into Pleasant Valley wondering why the town looked different to her. She’d been here just the day before, nothing could have changed since then.
Pulling into the parking lot at the park, she looked down Main Street trying to figure out what was different. Then it hit her, she’d driven into town without even thinking about it, she’d jumped in the car and took off. She hadn’t even said goodbye to Nate, who was as usual working in the library with Garrett. Feeling ridiculous, she dug her phone out of the pocket of her jeans and called Nate.
“Hi, um....” She wasn’t sure what to say.
“What’s wrong? Where are you? I’ve been frantic, I went looking for you and couldn’t find you. Sabrina said you jumped in the car and took off.” Nate said, clearly past the part where he was happy she was okay.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think. Sabrina kicked me out of the kitchen and said to go find someplace else to bake.” She said, feeling terrible. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“I’m on my way don’t move. Where are you?” He asked again.
“At the park.” She said, quietly.
“Don’t move.” He ordered he ordered again.
When Nate got into the car she could tell he was still angry, but one look at her face and he melted. “I’m sorry, I just wasn’t thinking.” She repeated.
“I know and believe me I understand. But you scared me. As careful as we are at the ranch, it’s a big place and someone could get to you. Just promise me you’ll let someone know the next time you decide to take off. And I guess we better see about getting you a driver’s license.” He said, pulling her into his arms and holding on to her for a long time.
“I drove all the way here and parked before I realized what I’d done.” She said, shaking a little.
Nate thought about it for a second, then said, “Definite progress. Now let’s go see what the town has to offer its newest pastry chef.”
“Is this crazy?” She asked, navigating the narrow street as if she’d never stopped driving.
“It isn’t any crazier than me running a construction company, but apparently I’m going to be doing that so I guess we’ll just have to go with the flow.” He said, shrugging his shoulders. “The Terrells have a way of making things turn out for the best.”
“Don’t forget that you’re one of them now.” She said, pulling up in front of a little diner that had obviously been closed for a long time.
“This had possibilities.” Nate said, “But, I also want to look at the place right down town that I saw that first day I was in town. I got the keys from Garrett before I left. He said to call if we found any other place we wanted to look at.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon and evening looking at different locations in town, then had a wonderful dinner at a little restaurant Garrett had recommend as Nate was flying out of the door. By the time they headed back to the ranch, Nate had a grand plan in mind, but Allison wasn’t so sure. She was afraid he was too caught up in everything that had been happening in the last few weeks, like a Terrell he’d started throwing money around like it was nothing.
It scared her to think of the thousands of dollars that would go into his plan if they went through with it. She’d envisioned a simple little bakery, but Nate had visions of selling her pastries in two locations. The café would be turned into a drive thru, and he’d take the downtown storefront and turn it into a coffee house, featuring her pastries.
Allison found herself worrying that it was all too good to be true, but didn’t want to ruin Nate’s excitement. She’d hold back getting too excited until their plan had been approved by the board of directors, but first she had a lot of work to do. She had no idea what she was doing, although it was possible that like many things, she might have skills she knew nothing about.
*****
As often happens in the mountains in spring, a cold snap brought the thaw to a halt. Luckily it wasn’t accompanied by snow. Everyone was happy to bundle up in the cold weather gear again, knowing that slowing down the thaw could only help their situation at the dam. Garrett had been anxious to get up the mountain and see the condition of the supports on the dam himself, but the melting snow had made the trip impossible.
Watching the weather forecast that first morning after the arctic front had come in, he decided now might be the best time for them to get a look at what they were dealing with. Plus they could take pictures and send them to Nate’s friends at the university. “It’s time to get a look at that dam, if we leave tomorrow morning we could be there and back before the cold front is gone.” He said, when they all wandered in for lunch.
“It’s going to be mighty cold up there.” Jonathan said, pouring himself a cup of coffee, missing Allison’s pastries.
As if on cue, she came through the door with a pink box in hand. Jonathan was the first to the box, pulling out a cruller, his favorite. “What’s everyone looking so unhappy about.” She said, kissing Jonathan on the cheek and whispering in his ear, “Only one of those for you.”
“Garrett seems to think we should head up to the dam in this freezing weather to see for ourselves what we already know.” Sebastian said with a scowl.
“Well, if Sebastian would stop and think for a second he’d realize the cold is going to refreeze everything making it easier to get the horses up there. We could even take some of the supplies we’re going to need.” Garrett said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“We don’t all have to go.” Donovan said, shooting his brother a dirty look. “You can stay home and keep watch here.”
“Fine, I’ll go. What about you Nate. You up for a trek into the mountains in freezing weather?”
“I’m willing, but you know I don’t ride well.” Nate said, feeling a little out of place for the first time.
“He’ll be fine.” Allison said.
“Okay, then let’s get organized.” Garrett said, turning to Sabrina.
Everyone laughed, then got down to business. Within hours they’d all gone their separate ways to gather the supplies they’d been assigned and to pack their own gear. Allison and Nate both had to borrow gear, but they were outfitted as well as anyone else before the night was out.
Allison was looking forward to the trip, since she’d started her pastry business there hadn’t been time to stop and take a break. Renovations on the café were going well, the drive thru causing quite a stir in town. For now they’d be holding off on the storefront on Main Street, but Nate was still making plans and consulting builders.
Renovations on the cabins was scheduled to start as soon as all the snow was melted with Elizabeth and Donovan’s first. Donovan was still looking for a location for his office, but wasn’t happy with anything he’d seen. No one was aware of it, but he was seriously considering letting Nate design something completely new, knowing that he would make it blend into the town seamlessly.
The next morning before first light, a caravan of warmly dressed riders left the ranch, trailing pack animals and sleds behind their horses. It was an impressive sight as single file they made their way into the snowy cold mountains. Allison and Nate were riding snugly in the middle of the pack, their horses taking their cues from the others.
Allison was confident on her horse, feeling at home the minute her butt hit the saddle, but Nate wasn’t so sure, riding with his hands gripping the reigns tightly. But as the morning wore on, he became more confident. It helped that the ride turned out to be easier than Garrett had expected, allowing the group to reach the pasture well before sunset. Before they could inspect the dam, camp had to be set up. Allison suddenly had a memory of camping with someone when she was a little girl, but it was a good memory so she savored it, helping the best she could.
Once camp had been set up, the
horses cared for, and a roaring fire built, they all made their way over to the dam. One look was all it took to see what the problem was, each of the main supports on the dam had become bowed due to age and the elements. Small trickles of water were seeping through in many places, making it look like the whole thing could collapse at any minute.
There was already an impressive amount of water behind the dam, flooding the pasture, but Garrett explained that it was actually at a normal level. “The idea is to let it flood early in the spring so the new grass will come up quickly and be ready when we move the cattle up here. The same thing will happen in the upper pasture, just later in the spring.”
“Can you open up the dam and let some of the water out?” Allison asked, thinking that if they could just reduce the pressure it would help.
“No, I’m afraid if we start messing with it, the whole thing will go.”
“We’re going to have to reinforce it from the back, I think.” Nate said, walking up and down the bank. “If we slide the planks down in back, the force of the water will help hold them in place.”
“That makes sense. Will they hold through the runoff?” Garrett asked, walking over to where Nate was standing. “I don’t know, Allison might have an idea about letting some of the water out. But instead of letting it out of the dam directly, we could dig some trenches off to the side and let it out that way.”
“Then what happens when the water eventually reaches the ranch?” Donovan asked, coming to stand beside them.
“We do the same thing down below. Dig a series of trenches to divert the water, it won’t be good for the land, but if it floods, some of the water will be diverted down into the home pasture.” Nate said, warming to the idea.
“That could work.” Sebastian said, joining his brothers.
Allison smiled to see the four brothers lined up on the bank of the river and was glad she’d put her phone in her pocket. Pulling it out, she quickly snapped a picture, looking to the other three woman. They smiled, enjoying the sight before them, from Nate to Sebastian they were standing together. Oldest to youngest, the Terrell brothers were all untied for the first time in their lives.
But all too soon the moment was broken when they turned together and demanded food. “We’ll cook tonight, but you guys have to cook tomorrow.” Leslie said, the turned on her heel and headed for the fire. They’d be roughing it on this trip, cooking on the fire and sleeping in tents.
Allison discovered she could cook just as well on the fire as she could on a stove, although she wasn’t going to be trying any pastries out here. The group finished every bit of food they’d cooked and an entire chocolate cake, then sat around the fire too full to move. Donovan and Sebastian told stories of cattle drives and some of the adventure they’d had.
Garrett and Sabrina had been quiet as soon as the stories began being told, Allison knew they’d fallen in love on a cattle drive, but never heard the whole story. Finally, she got up the courage to ask. “Your mother told me you guys fell in love on a cattle drive, but she never told me the whole story. She said, it was your story to tell.”
“That sounds like my mother.” Garrett said, affectionately. Then turned to Sabrina and said, “Shall I start or do you want to.”
“I’ll start.” Sabrina said, surprising no one. “It all started with the most annoying parent I’ve ever met. Garrett’s son Scott was in my class at the private school where I worked, and I detested him from the moment I met him.”
“Oh come on. You were in love with me from the very beginning.” Garrett said, pulling her over to him for a kiss. “What really happened was this....”
An hour later, Allison was close to tears, their story was so romantic, she was sure things like that only happened in books. Still feeling brave, she turned to Leslie who was sitting next to her and asked, “What about you and Sebastian? I heard something about gangsters and running for your lives. Did Leslie really save your life?”
“In more ways than one, but let me explain.” He said, then took Leslie’s hand in his and began to talk. When they’d finished their story, Allison began to understand what Cinthia had meant about how hard they’d all had to work to find love.
She turned to Donovan and gave him a questioning look. “I suppose you want to hear our story.” He said, scooting closer to Elizabeth and putting his arm around her. “It all started when this really gorgeous environmental crusading lawyer wouldn’t leave me alone.”
By the time the fire had burned down, Allison had a new respect for the couples sitting with her. She only hoped that her love for Nate was strong enough to withstand the kind of adversity they had survived. It gave her hope for the future she hoped to share with Nate. Later that night snuggled into a double sleeping bag with Nate, not even feeling the cold thanks to his body heat, she said a prayer that everything would work out okay.
She almost believed her prayers had been answered when Nate whispered, “I love you.” In her ear just as he was drifting off to sleep, then pulled her closer, his arms wrapped firmly around her. Sleep took her feeling safe and content and like she was right where she belonged.
Chapter 12
The next morning they were all up early, but Sabrina had obviously been up for longer than anyone. She’d already made a huge pot of coffee and had a bubbling pot of oatmeal on the fire. Allison wasn’t crazy about oatmeal, but she found that even after everything she’d eaten last night she was starving.
“That smells good, I’m starving this morning.” Allison said, taking the cup of scalding coffee Sabrina handed her.
The cold was piercing this morning and the hot liquid was helping to warm her up. “You’re going to find that you’ll be eating far more over the next few days than you would at home. It takes a lot of fuel to keep your body warm. You also need to be sure you’re drinking enough water, it’s easy to get dehydrated when you’re cold, since you don’t feel thirsty until it’s too late.”
Allison helped herself to a bowl of oatmeal then added bananas and some brown sugar. “We’re going to end up cooking the whole time, aren’t we?” Allison asked with her mouth full.
“Yes, I’m sure we will. Leslie always tried to get the men to cook, but somehow it never happens.” Sabrina said, shaking her head. “We’re going to need at least four meals a day, plus snacks. And if they decide to go into that freezing water, I’m thinking we might need more.”
Allison looked over to the dam, “They wouldn’t possibly consider that, would they?”
“They might, Garrett packed some waders so they wouldn’t really get wet, but that water is cold enough to kill.” Sabrina said, clearly resigned to the possibility.
“How can you be so calm?” Allison asked, shivering at the thought of going into that water.
“I don’t really have a choice. At least I’m here to make sure they don’t freeze to death.” She said, with a shrug, then added, “When you love a Terrell, you have to be prepared for anything, life tends to be a bit dramatic in this family, but I wouldn’t change my life for anything.”
Garrett appeared out of the morning mist, “Did I hear that you’re planning on changing your life?” He asked, pulling Sabrina into his arms.
“No, I’m perfectly happy with it just the way it is, so keep that in mind when you start concocting some grand scheme to fix that dam today.” She said, looking up at him, studying his face for a minute.
“It’s not a crazy scheme and it should work. Nate’s working it all out, even done the math. We’ve never had anyone to do the math before.” He said, flashing her his best smile.
“But you’ll still be careful.” She said, more like an order than a request.
“Yes, we’ll be careful. Where is everyone? The day is wasting.” Garrett said, taking the cup of coffee Allison had poured for him.
As if on cue the rest of the group appeared out of the mist, they all looked sleepy but ready to face the day. After they’d all gotten coffee and oatmeal, the men went off to make
plans while the women cleaned up from breakfast. When they’d finished, each went back to their tent to dress for the day, with plans to meet back at the makeshift kitchen.
Back together again, they came up with a plan to feed the eight of them and the wranglers they brought along to help. Sabrina and Allison had already planned the menu, which had seemed excessive to Allison back at the ranch, but suddenly seemed like it might not be enough to keep everyone fed.
When she saw the amount of food they’d packed though, she felt reassured, there was more than enough to feed them all quite well for several days. After they’d devised a plan, the issue of firewood was their next task. It would take a lot of wood to keep the large fire going night and day and the men hated the chore.
Leslie was elected as the first to approach the men with their request. Taking the coffee pot over to where they’d laid the plans for the dam out on a folding table, she refilled their cups, then asked, “Do you have plans for getting us some firewood on your list.”
There was a collective groan from all the men except Nate, who had no idea what they were groaning about. “Just let us make our plans then we’ll get you all the wood you need.” Sebastian said, then added, “I promise.” When Leslie raised her eyebrows at him.
“Let’s just get it over with. If we all work together it shouldn’t take that long. I brought the chain saw, so that will help.” Donovan said, rolling up the plans and sliding them back into their protective tube.
“I hate getting wood.” Sebastian said, following him, looking like a little boy who doesn’t want to do his chores.
As the men walked away, Leslie had to laugh. But to give them something to look forward to she hollered after them, “We’ll have a hot breakfast waiting for you when you’re done.”
That seemed to cheer the men, who set about the work of creating a wood pile that would get them though the next few days. After a breakfast of bacon and eggs, the men went back to planning and the women set about keeping them all fed. By the end of the day the men had a plan in place and all the materials they’d need lined up on the bank. They’d have to wait until the next day, but first thing in the morning they were going into the water to place planks on the back side of the dam, hoping that they would help the dam hold until after the thaw.
You're My Rock (Brothers From Money #4) Page 12