An approaching boat broke Grace from her thoughts, and she turned to see a lone dormen heading in her direction. She had no doubt it was Calista and she backed up, not wanting to influence her mood. Grace watched as the tan, dark-haired woman pulled the little motorboat out of the water. When it was secure, she took a bag and a folding chair and settled a few feet away.
Grace looked around, hoping Calista was safe from wild animals. She gasped audibly when, instead of a mountain lion or cougar, several adorable darin monkeys came from the forest to surround her. Calista smiled and talked gently to them, and Grace had hope for her. Before, when Calista approached in her boat, her expression was serious, focused. When she smiled, it brightened her whole face. The small gray and white darin monkeys, named so for being daring and mischievous even in the face of danger, made Calista happy. It was obvious they loved her in return.
Grace walked further down the water's edge, her eyes in search of larger prey as she thought about Calista, so far away from safety at the edge of her village. Grace always had a soft spot for dormens. She worried about them since their entire world was rainforest and bears and wolf packs lived in their backyards. The dormens and animals avoided each other mostly, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.
The dormens typically worked and lived in groups, with suspension bridges leading to each other's solar-powered treehouses. So, why was Calista by herself? Victor and Hattie said she was a loner, but Grace didn't realize to what extent. Did she sneak away from her family, from her friends, to play with darin monkeys? Even though Calista looked to be thirty, dormens remained near to their families forever.
Victor told Grace once he wanted her to help find a potential mate for Calista. Since matchmaking was her favorite thing to do, Grace would keep an eye on her and see if anyone stood out. She watched Calista playing with the little monkeys and laughing. If she was such a loner, was there anyone in her life that Grace could even look out for?
Chapter One
After the usual morning spent with the monkeys and making rounds on her property, Calista Andrews was happy to be back at her treehouse. She smiled when Mason ran to her, and she pulled her favorite darin monkey in her arms. "I love when you come visit me. I saw our forest friends today, Mason. I hope soon we can have a place for you all." He hopped from her to go into the kitchen area, pulling out the drawer that held the bag of seeds he loved so much. He looked at her to make sure it was all right and she smiled. "Yes, you can have some. Let me get you some lettuce, too." They were both distracted when they heard someone walking across her suspension bridge and Mason ran to the window by the door, chattering loudly and pointing.
Calista opened the door and sighed, already knowing who it would be. "Not today, sir. I'm still not interested in moving from here." The young gentleman was halfway across the bridge and he held up his arms in protest, dropping his papers. She stifled a laugh as they went flying through the air and onto the ground.
"What a shame," she said, pretending to pout. "They'll be all wet now. Before you go, I should remind you again to use the staircase. You waste more time than you need going across that bridge. Good day to you, Mr. Henley."
"Miss Andrews, no!" he called as she shut the door. She shook her head at Mason as he looked out the window and waved.
"I'm glad you can be nice to the fella. I, for one, am tired of him coming here every day trying to make me leave this place!" Calista huffed, walking to the cooler and pulling out the lettuce. This piqued Mason's interest, and he ran to the counter to wait patiently as she tore off a piece and handed it to him. "I cannot move back to Crystal Springs." She shuddered as she walked to the window to see Mr. Henley was gone. "Good. What am I going to do, Mason? So many have left Preston Forest, when we weren't that many to begin with." She laughed when she realized Mason didn't care about her plight as he waited patiently for another piece of lettuce. "Oh, all right, but you will see where I'm coming from one day. If they turn this village into another town, what about you and your buddies? What about any of the animals? No one seems to care but me," she sighed. Sensing her frustration, Mason patted her hand when she gave him his treat. At least he could always make her happy.
Ten minutes later, Calista heard Mr. Henley coming back and she rose from her seat. So much for trying to read a book. She opened the door and sighed. The pale, wiry man looked nervous when she walked toward him, meeting him in the middle of the bridge. He gripped a rail with one hand and grasped his damp and wrinkled papers with the other. She would feel pity at his nervousness if she weren't so frustrated.
"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice clipped.
"I think you will be happy if you give me five minutes, Miss Andrews. Mr. Baker is being extremely generous-"
"Is he, now?" she asked, jerking the papers from his hand. She didn't think the man could get any paler, but she was wrong. He gripped the rails as if his life depended on it, sweat on his brow even though the air was cool. "Why do you walk across this bridge if it frightens you?"
"I like the view," he answered quickly, even as he held firmly to the railing. She smiled and looked around. It didn't rain as much in these warmer months and fog took its place. Hers was the only treehouse within view, unlike if you lived in the town where all homes were grouped together. She glared at the man who insisted on taking away her privacy, her happiness.
"You can see why I don't want to leave this place. Look around you, Mr. Henley, please. What do you see... what do you hear? Are there dormens going every which way, stacked on top of each other?"
"That is not exactly how I would describe a town, but I understand your frustration," he said, at least having the decency to look her in the eyes. "You must believe me when I say Mr. Baker worries for your safety-"
"Isn't that kind?" she interrupted snidely. She inched closer to him, knowing she was taking her anger out on someone who was nothing more than the messenger. "So kind, especially from someone I have never met! You will tell him for me, won't you, that I don't need his acts of kindness. I don't need his bags of money, I need only one thing."
"I'm afraid to ask what that is," Mr. Henley whimpered, and she inched even closer to him, fighting the urge to poke him in the chest.
"I want my privacy, Mr. Henley. If I have an ounce of power to stop this village from becoming another town like Crystal Springs, I will use it."
"He isn't what you think and if I can please have those five minutes with you, it would be-"
"I won't give you the time. I will never give you the time, and you can tell your greedy Mr. Baker that. He can send every one of his messengers banging on my door, and it will get him nothing!"
"You won't win this," he said, his confidence taking her by surprise. It didn't bother her. "You don't know him. I've worked with him for years, he always gets what he wants."
She ripped up the papers she held in her hands, and he stiffened. "I have lived here for five years, and I will not be intimidated by you or anyone else. This is my home and I will fight for what's mine. Hear that, Mr. Henley." He gulped, his newfound confidence diminished.
"Good luck to you, Miss Andrews," he said, catching her off guard. She wouldn't be nervous, refused to be. No one could kick her out of her home... could they? Aside from one terrible man she knew in her whole life, dormens were good. They looked out for each other even if they only met you once.
"Good luck to you," she returned before walking back to her house, not slamming the door behind her as she would have liked. She didn't want to scare Mason if he was still nearby. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She'd fled from her home years before, a home she loved. It took her a long time to find peace somewhere new, but she did just that. She couldn't do it again, she didn't want to.
Chapter Two
After making the morning rounds on her property and finding everything secure, Calista was ready to visit her monkey friends. She loaded her boat with her bag and shotgun and adjusted her brimmed hat. As she started
the motor, she heard a boat in the distance heading her way. She shook her head, knowing it was Mr. Henley, and steered her boat in the opposite direction. She was a quarter mile past her house when she heard the boat approaching. She sighed. Of course Mr. Henley had a boat faster than her own. She stared straight ahead when it was alongside her.
"I thought you would be much older!" she heard a man's voice yell out.
"What?" she hollered instinctively, looking over at the man who was not Mr. Henley. Instead of the tall, pale gentleman, this one had a much pleasanter face and she could see he wasn't as pale, even under his brimmed hat. He motioned for her to stop the boat and she shook her head.
"Please, Miss Andrews! There's a good place for it right there," he yelled, pointing to a clearing up ahead. She sighed and stopped the motor. He did the same but quickly realized she wasn't going to pull her boat ashore.
"You're wasting your time, sir. I said yesterday Mr. Baker can send all the messengers he likes, it makes no difference to me."
"The thing is, you didn't give Mr. Henley a chance..."
Calista squinted her eyes, watching the suddenly nervous man. Although he wore the right things, water boots over his pants and a long-sleeved shirt that flattered him rather nicely, he didn't look like he wanted to be out here. She had no doubt he lived in town. He was probably one of Mr. Baker's messengers that followed him to Crystal Springs to settle down. That, or he was waiting to go back to his own home when he was no longer needed. He stared at the forest behind her and she turned to see if a wild animal had caught his eye. She saw none. "Why are you so nervous?" she asked, turning back to face him. He chuckled.
"I'm not," he said, looking around him. "I am realizing I haven't been this far down the river."
"You've never been all the way down Darin River? That's a shame, it's beautiful. Just around that bend, there are a bunch of monkeys. Are you familiar with them?"
"With darin monkeys?" he asked, his brown eyes staring into hers. She smiled, even though her cheeks felt heated from his watchful gaze.
"Yes. They used to roam more of the forest, but now they mostly stay here," she said, tearing her eyes from his. She was getting an idea. "You can follow me there if you want."
"All right." Good. Maybe for once, she could get one of these messengers on her side to help talk sense into Mr. Baker.
A few minutes later, they were pulling their boats up and setting them next to a redwood tree. When he stood beside her, she fumbled momentarily as she noticed up close, he was more pleasant to look at than she expected. He stood a few inches taller than her and on closer inspection, she realized his eyes were hazel, not brown.
"Can I help you with that?" he asked, reaching for her shoulder bag, and she nodded.
"Thank you," she said, strapping her gun around her shoulder. Even visiting her cherished monkeys, one never knew what else could be lurking. She pointed to the clearing ahead. "Look." She laughed when the small gray and white monkeys ran to her excitedly, ignoring the man beside her.
"I take it they know you," he said, smiling warmly.
"I'm here every morning. So, fellas," she said to the monkeys. "We are going to show this gentleman around today." She turned her attention back to him. "I suppose it would be helpful if I knew your name."
He patted the head of a baby monkey that had climbed on her shoulder. His eyes met hers, and he smiled. "My name is Reece."
"Reece," she said, surprised. "We are doing first names, then?"
He waved his arms out at the vast forest. "Can we be openly defiant of the rules out here? Unless you think this guy will tell someone?" he asked, still petting the monkey on her shoulder.
"The rule is dumb, and they don't apply in this village. I am unmarried, but you may call me Calista. You might not want to tell your boss, though," she said, holding out her hand. He appeared nervous, but he shook her hand before walking away.
"What do you say, Calista? What is there to show me out here?"
She smiled, full of hope that he would fall in love with the area as she was. "We'll start through here," she said, leading him into the forest.
"I hear a waterfall," he said, and she turned to smile at him.
"Hope you like them." They walked past fruit trees and redwoods until she came to one of her favorite places. A waterfall flowed down a hill into a crystal blue watering hole, giant boulders surrounding it. Reece audibly gasped, and she chuckled at the reaction.
"I thought the one in Crystal Springs was beautiful," he said in awe.
"It is pretty there, but too well-liked." He looked at her, and she knew he understood what she was getting at. She saw intelligence in his hazel eyes, and she knew he had a businessman mind. It would be hard to pull on his heartstrings when he cared only about money and logic. He bent down to play with the monkeys and she realized something. She hadn't been alone with a man not part of her family in years, aside from Mr. Henley every morning before she kicked him from her property. Reece was tall and lean like Mr. Henley, but more well-built. She saw the hint of muscles hiding under his long-sleeved shirt, but she wasn't afraid of him. She couldn't imagine Mr. Henley bent down and playing with the monkeys as this man did and looking happy doing so. As if he discerned he was being scrutinized by her, he stood up and looked all business once again.
"It is wonderful out here, but this is not a good place to be. Villages are dangerous, Calista. I'm surprised you have made it here as long as you have. When we combine Preston Forest with Crystal Springs-"
"No," she interrupted hotly. "What of the monkeys or any of the harmless animals? Look how far I must come to see them now. You businessmen are all the same. You take and take more than you should and already Preston Forest isn't what it once was. Leave the rest of the forest be, and the animals and I will be fine. The animals not hunted, that is."
He took a deep breath, seeming to think over his next words. "Would you like to sit?" he asked, pointing to a boulder.
"No," she said, making a move to stand in front of him. Her eyes stared hard into his and she saw a hint of green flecks in them. "Listen to me, Reece. I understand those that live in town and their need for a community, yet none of you ever understand my desire for privacy. Your boss has taken away the few I interacted with in the name of greed. He may say it is for their safety, and they went along with it because he offered numbers they could not deny. You can tell him the money will never mean anything to me, neither will his promises of safety."
He inched closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers. She could smell his aftershave, could see the green flecks dancing in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was raspy. "If you don't worry for your own safety, why the gun? Predators won't go to those in groups because they have learned they carry guns. You are in shape, but you are a lone woman. No predator would be scared to attack you."
"I have not lived here on my own by being stupid," she said, stepping away from him and his powerful gaze. "That's why I carry a gun. I know when to come and go, and my home is secure as much as it can be. You may not care for villages, but I do. You are trying to take me from my home; do you not understand that?"
His expression softened. "If you ever listen to my messengers, you would know I am not trying to take you from your home, I am trying to build around you. Leaving would be temporary and for your own benefit of not hearing the noise while we work. You will be set up in a nice boarding house until..."
Calista was no longer listening. Rage swirled inside her and her head pounded, blocking out his voice. "Your messengers? You are Mr. Baker?"
His eyes widened in surprise when he realized his error. "Miss Andrews, please. I didn't mean to lie to you-"
"It seems the opposite is true," she said angrily. "How could I have been so stupid to think I could change the mind of someone like you? You pretend to care about the dormens when all you want to do is have power over them. You are the bad one, making animals flee their homes so you can make more communities-"
"For your bene
fit!" he interrupted, his hazel eyes flashing. She felt her skin burning from anger and the monkeys scurried off, chattering loudly at each other. "How do you not see that? Why do you feel you belong out here all alone? You are too young, too pretty for that! You worry for these harmless animals, but you think a predator won't attack when you visit them? Do you think you are safe in your treehouse in the middle of the jungle? It's only a matter of time."
Calista took deep breaths, trying to control her fury before she spoke. "Where do you expect the animals to go when you build on top of them? How will they survive?"
"It is not my job to know or care. It is my job to make sure dormens are safe. The animals that won't get hunted will find new homes."
"And you will profit from it!" She fought the urge to punch the man who threatened everything she loved. She knew he had more power than she could ever dream of and she stomped away from him, taking deep, calming breaths. She would not cry in front of this man, not even tears of anger. The monkey she named Davis ran into her arms, hugging her, and she could not fight the tears anymore. Luckily, Mr. Baker left her alone. She didn't hear him coming, and she was glad for it. Davis cupped her face and she wasn't upset anymore, at least for the moment. "I will figure this out," she told herself. She turned to face Mr. Baker, who stood a few feet away, his face serious. "What if I say no? I don't plan to leave."
"We will build, anyway," he said solemnly. "You just won't get paid."
She wiped the tears that fell, hating him for making her cry. "There are plenty of homes in town for the dormens that are there. You want others to join so you can make more profit while you tell them they are safe in numbers. Preston Forest should be a sanctuary for the harmless animals, especially the monkeys. Do you not remember playing with them when you were a child? They will never be completely safe from the predators, but neither are we if they want us bad enough."
Crashing Into You Page 16