by S A Monk
Hawk gave Jenny a long assessing stare. “Yeah, let’s go. I’m finished here.”
Left alone to deal with Brad, Jenny decided she was finished here, too. She made her excuses to the man at her side. He told her he’d call her by the weekend. She just nodded and decided to deal with him later. She’d had about all the Caldwells she could take the last twenty-four hours.
As she got behind the wheel of her brand new torch red Corvette Stingray and started the low rumbling engine that always made heads turn, she watched Hawk open the door of his truck for Cindy Caldwell. She slid in, to the center of the bench seat. With the dome light on, Jenny saw Cindy snuggle up to Hawk as he got in behind the wheel. Before he closed his door and shut out the light, Cindy pulled his face around for a long torrid kiss.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out where that kiss was going— no doubt straight to the nearest motel room. The woman was practically straddling him! And he certainly wasn’t pushing her away. Jenny backed her Corvette out of the space next to him before the kiss ended, unable to watch anymore.
Tears blurred her vision as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway. It hurt, a lot, to see Hawk in Cindy Caldwell’s arms. Jenny thought there might have been something developing between her and him, but when she got involved with a man, she didn’t make it a practice to share him. Obviously, this man, though, was already involved with another woman. She’d been hoping Peter had been wrong when he had warned her of that. Well damn! Maybe it was for the best that it would be just business between them. She’d already learned with Peter that business didn’t mix well with an affair.
It wasn’t much consolation, though. She wondered how she should interpret yesterday’s intimacy at the line cabin. Hawk hadn’t given her the impression he was in a relationship with another woman. What game was he playing? Still confused and miserable by the time she went to bed, she found it impossible to banish the image of him in Cindy Caldwell’s arms.
CHAPTER 11
“You’re up bright and early, considerin’ how late you got in last night.” Eli was sitting on the edge of his bed, pulling on his boots when Hawk walked into his room at the back of the bunkhouse the next morning. “You and that Caldwell woman have a good time?” With a hard-eyed glare, he looked over at the man in the doorway. “When Jenny came home and you didn’t, she told me you and Cindy left the meetin’ together.”
Hawk scrubbed a hand down his face. He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, and he’d woken up with a hangover this morning. He needed a cup of coffee, not the lecture Eli was for certain going to deliver.
“Yeah, well did she also tell you what a fool Brad made of me when I brought up the topic of our missing cattle? The whole idea of cattle rustling was funny as hell to Brad. He had half the room thinking I was a damn idiot for losing my cows.”
Eli gave him a level-eyed look. “I heard ‘bout all that, too. But Brad’s always been a smart-ass. You didn’t expect nuthin’ else, did you?”
“I sure as hell didn’t expect Tom’s daughter to cozy up to the jerk, afterwards,” Hawk shot back, still furious about seeing her with Brad after the meeting. “Hell, everyone’s going to think she agrees with him that I am an idiot.”
Now Eli was really angry. “Aw hell, boy, that’s crap! She told me you got a lot of support after the meetin’. And I’ll lay you ten-to-one she wasn’t cozyin’ up to Caldwell. You know how he operates. Everything is for show. He probably knew you was comin’ out that door.”
Hawk stepped out of the way as Eli strode past him to the kitchen to make coffee. “Maybe that little scene was for show, but you know Brad is trying damn hard to influence her. He’s going to use her against me if he can. According to Cindy, he filled her head with all kinds of crap the other night at their little dinner party. He’s got her thinking she ought to sue me for incompetency.”
“Bullpucky!” Eli cussed as he plugged his ancient electric coffee maker into the outlet. “Jenny’s Tom’s daughter, for christsakes. She’s not gonna sue you. She’s gonna be on your side, if you give her half a chance. And I’ll just bet she’d be happy to help you out. You gotta load of problems right now. You think Tom would’ve wanted you tacklin’ them by yourself?” Eli pointed a gnarled finger at him as he turned around to face Hawk again. “And get your head outta your ass with that Caldwell woman. That ain’t goin’ nowhere ‘cept you gettin’ laid once in the while. She don’t give you any info that keeps her brother off your back. Hell, a good woman comes along, and you ain’t gonna be able to spot her if you’re playing games with Miss High and Mighty.”
Hawk stared at the old cowhand and started to laugh. “Lord almighty, Eli, you sure got an opinion about everything!”
“And what the hell would you all do if I didn’t?”
“Hell if I know!”
“Damn straight!” Eli poured a cup of coffee. “Want a cup?” he asked, holding out the percolator.
“Yeah, thanks.” Hawke grabbed a mug and held it out for Eli to fill, then sat down at the small kitchen table with him. “Tom wouldn’t have wanted me getting his daughter involved....”
“Horseshit!” Eli interrupted. “I’ve known Tom since he was your age. I’m damn sure he woulda wanted both of you workin’ these problems out together.”
Hawk sipped his coffee pensively. “Maybe. I’ll give it some thought up at cow camp. That’s what I came to tell you. I’m going up there until Friday evening. Hank said he found some signs of a stock trailer up by that logging road that runs near the old Miller mine. I want to check it out, and see if I can find any evidence of cattle theft.”
“You’re not taking Jenny?”
“Not now— next week, Monday. You, too, by the way. I’m going to need everyone up there for a week. We’ll be back Friday because the wedding is on Saturday. Did you get that tux rented?”
“Yeah, yeah. I took one of your suits in so they had your measurements” Eli waved that topic aside. “Jenny ain’t gonna be too happy that you’re leavin’ her behind. She’s gonna think you don’t want her along ‘cause she can’t do nuthin’ right.”
“Yeah, probably, but tell her that’s got nothing to do with it. She’s still hurt and sore. She needs to rest before we go up next week. Show her the books. She needs to look them over anyway. I just haven’t had time to review them with her.” Hawk got up to leave, but stopped in the doorway and turned back to Eli. “Oh, and tell her if she didn’t bring a bathing suit, to go into town and buy one.”
“A bathing suit? What the hell for? We ain’t got no pool.”
“On Saturday, I’m going to take her up to Chester Creek Hot Springs. It’s about time she see what Brad wants, and she might like a soak in their pools. You ought to try it yourself sometime, you old coot. It’d help your disposition, and your arthritis.”
Eli waved away the suggestion without comment. “You might want to think ‘bout telling her ‘bout Cindy Caldwell. She asked.”
“She did, huh?”
“I oughtta make you go over to the house and wake her up. You should tell her all this stuff yourself ‘fore you leave, ‘stead of leavin’ it to me. But get outta here, now. I got stuff to do.”
Hawk gave him a grin and left. When he rode past the house, he looked up at the second story window where Jenny was undoubtedly asleep. He wasn’t real happy about leaving without talking to her. A half hour ago, he’d still been upset with her, but Eli was probably right. Last night probably hadn’t been her fault. Caldwell was a snake. It would be just like him to stage that scene outside the Cattlemen’s meeting.
It didn’t make what he’d done none too smart, either. Eli was right again. He didn’t know why he was still screwing around with Cindy Caldwell. They hadn’t seen much of each other lately anyway. And even though she talked about her brother a lot, she didn’t know what he was really up to most of the time. Cindy was convenient. When he’d been younger, he’d thought he was in love with her, but it hadn’t taken him long to learn Cindy on
ly loved herself. It ran in the family. Now, they pretty much used each other, in between other relationships.
He shouldn’t have gone with her after the meeting. They’d gone to a bar, had one too many beers, and ended up in bed together in the motel next door. He’d been furious with Jenny. Seeing her standing there, with Brad’s arm around her, after that humiliating meeting had driven all rational thought from his head. He knew what the bastard was up to; had even expected it. But he hadn’t expected Jenny to listen to it. And according to Cindy, that’s exactly what she’d done at dinner the other night.
But, damn it, Jenny didn’t really seem like the type to side with Caldwell. And he needed to end this thing with Cindy Caldwell once and for all. It wasn’t any more than sex between them now, anyway, and last night, he’d found out for sure it wasn’t Cindy he wanted in bed with him. Even half drunk, it had been Jenny’s face he’d seen in his mind the whole night. He sure enough had a lot to think about the next few days while he was at cow camp.
∞∞∞
Jenny felt pretty discouraged when she woke up to discover Hawk had taken off for the rest of the week. By the time he returned, she had run through a whole gamut of emotions; anger hurt, regret, then finally determination.
It was the leaving without saying a word that hit her the hardest. Eli tried to make excuses; to tell her it was just the work; the need to find the missing cows. But Jenny was hurt that Hawk hadn’t wanted her help. How could she blame him, though? She wasn’t a very competent cowhand, and he needed real help.
It didn’t hurt any less to think about him and Cindy Caldwell together, either. But she reminded herself firmly and finally that it was a business partnership they needed to establish, not a romantic one. She should never have let herself get carried away by his very adept kisses. She’d have more control from here on out. Unfortunately, none of her self-admonishments and logical analysis did a thing to temper the regret she felt at being apart from him for the rest of the week.
∞∞∞
The land Brad Caldwell wanted was northwest of the ranch house, just above Chester Creek and the Rocky Cliff Hot Springs. Bypassing the spa and pools, Hawk continued onto a paved road that wound past a few homes in the area. At the end of the canyon, he took a rutted dirt road that ran along a sturdy interlocking split-rail fence until it dead-ended at a cattle gate. He got out, unlocked the gate, then drove through, into the pasture beyond, finally stopping near a large tree.
They got out of the truck and walked a few feet until they reached a big flat-topped rock. Hawk helped Jenny onto the boulder, then hopped up and sat next to her, drawing one leg up to rest an arm on.
“This is what Brad Caldwell wants from us.” He began, sweeping his hand in an arc. “This piece of property winds around the base of that mountain and down to the hot springs below us. There are over three hundred acres of prime grazing land here that we use for winter pasture. We could even use it for summer pasture if we lost our federal grazing permit. Chester Creek winds through the acreage, over there,” he pointed out, indicating the meandering stream that didn’t have much water in it at this time of the year. “We have good water rights to it, too.”
“Is this pasture connected to the ones near the house?” Jenny wondered.
“Yep, by horseback. We can move cattle in and out fairly easily.” Hawk laid a forearm on his bent knee. “Brad wants this for condo development, time-shares, and an eighteen-hole golf course. His resort would start at the hot springs and extend up to the foot of the mountain, there,” he pointed out again. “The county owns the hot springs now. It’s open to the public. But if Brad can get them to sell it to him, and he’s got enough influence with the county commissioners to make that happen, then he’ll renovate Chester Creek Hot Springs and make it a private, very exclusive resort. Without our property, he’s got nothing to attract big investors. The hot springs aren’t enough for what he wants. He needs an 18 hole golf course to make this a major destination resort,” he laughed sardonically. “I’ve heard he is even in negotiation to buy some government land on the northern face of the mountain for a ski run.”
Jenny remembered the men she had met the other night. “Did you see those two men with him Tuesday evening, after the cattleman’s meeting? They reminded me of some of the big money men I see hanging around the movie studios, talking to the producers and directors. Very intense, rather dangerous looking.”
“I caught a glimpse of them. Cindy said they were from out of town, East coast businessmen, investors. They’d been out to the house. She said they made her nervous.”
“Is it too melodramatic to think he could be involved with organized crime funding for his project?”
Hawk tipped his hat back and rubbed his forehead with a couple of fingers. “I don’t know. Maybe not. Brad would do anything to get his project going. He needs lots of money— major backers. Knowing Brad, he’s probably made big promises, taken some money up front, and now finds himself in a bind to deliver the whole package. He’s probably running out of time, too, since he first asked us to sell six months ago. Desperation can make a man dangerous, and Cindy said he’s getting real edgy.”
Mentioning Cindy twice was too many times for Jenny to ignore. It was time she asked a few questions about his relationship with the woman if he wasn’t going to enlighten her voluntarily. The women she’d met at Becky’s wedding shower the other night said his relationship with Cindy Caldwell wasn’t going anywhere, and that it had never interfered with either one of them dating other people. It had sounded rather loosey-goosey.
She was uncertain of how to begin, so she just jumped in with both feet. “Hawk, I saw you and Cindy Caldwell in your truck after the cattlemen’s meeting the other night. Are you and she romantically involved?”
He looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head negatively. “We’re nothing anymore.” It was hard to tell what exactly was going through his head. “We haven’t been much of anything meaningful for a while.”
Short and straightforward, but not too detailed. “But I saw the two of you in your truck.” She had to pursue this, but she felt uncomfortable pressing the issue. “It’s probably none of my business. I’m probably way out of line, but…. the other night, the two of you looked....”
“Yeah, I know how it must of a looked to you.” He flashed her a crooked half-grin that was full of self-depreciative humor. “It probably looked ‘bout as bad as Brad having his arm around your shoulders.” She started to defend herself, but he stopped her with a raised hand. “The Caldwells are experts at setting up a scene. We got played, Jenny. I was dumb enough to fall for it. I regret the way the evening ended.”
“You have a long history with Cindy Caldwell.” It was more observation than question.
“Yeah, it started in high school,” he admitted with a rueful shake of his head. “We got pretty serious our senior year. I even asked her to marry me when I started making some money on the pro rodeo circuit, but she wanted a whole hell of lot more than I could offer.”
She searched his face and wondered if he’d ever been in love with Cindy Caldwell. Almost immediately she concluded that he would have had to have been in order to ask her to marry him. He didn’t impress her as the kind of guy who made half-commitments. She wondered if he truly was done with the blonde, but decided only time would tell. And at this point, it really wasn’t any of her business. At least that’s the line she tried to feed herself.
“That business with Brad that night was really nothing,” she told him, reciprocating with her own admission. “He approached me. I didn’t seek him out.”
“Are you going to sue me for incompetence?” he asked, with an enigmatic smile.
It was hard to tell if he was offended or amused by looking into his eyes. “Cindy reports well, doesn’t she?”
“When it suits her.”
Jenny could imagine how well Cindy Caldwell used that tool to manipulate Hawk. “Brad offered me a lot of advice the other night— both
he and Peter. It’s true that they’d like to see me sue or buy you out. They suggested I could also wait you out, letting the courts resolve the issue at the end of ninety days by forcing a sale.” She met his look of gathering anger with a pacifying smile. “But I’m not going to do any of those things. Dad wouldn’t want me to, and I’m not heartless enough to take away your home, or risk mine to satisfy Brad’s need for our property. Whatever agreement we come to will be mutual, okay?”
“Agreed.” The anger evaporated into a broad smile left little doubt about its intent this time. “Thanks for the honesty.” Hopping down off the rock, he turned and plucked her off, too. “Ready to go soak some sore muscles?”
“I don’t think….” she responded dubiously as she walked beside him to his truck.
“You went into town with Eli to get a bathing suit, didn’t you? You bring it with you like I asked?”
“Yes, but….”
“You’ll enjoy this. We could both use a good hot soak. It’s great for sore muscles.”
“Am I going to freeze in this outdoor pool? It’s a bit cold for a swim.” It was sunny, but it was still a crisp fall day, with that Colorado nip in the air.
“You’ll stay warm,” he assured her as he opened his truck door and assisted her inside.
Jenny wondered if this qualified as a date, and decided it didn’t. The idea was a bit crazy, but she thought she might enjoy it. It was probably worth it to see him in a bathing suit. It surprised her that a mountain cowboy would even own one.
The Chester Creek Hot Springs was one of the geothermal mineral springs that ran through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. There were several in this region alone. This one sat on a bluff that overlooked the valley, nestled against one of the collegiate peaks.
They entered through a cedar planked building that branched off into men’s and women’s dressing rooms. The teenage clerk took the small fee to use the pool, handed each of them a large towel, and rented them a key for the lockers.