If I Fall...

by Jennifer Christy

  She released her breath and smiled with relief. “Good. Anything else you need?” She had a small hope that he’d refuse and just leave.

  “Mind if I have a look around?” He turned up his nose at her again and she realized he was trying to look at her through the bottom part of his bifocal lenses.

  “Sure,” she said half-heartedly as she took her hardhat off the desk and a hard hat for him off the hook on the wall. She handed him the hardhat as she led the way to the schoolhouse. She paused at front door of the schoolhouse as she plopped on her hardhat, shoving her hair bun higher up on her head to compensate for the annoying band across the inside back of the hat.

  “I’d like to look around alone, if you don’t mind,” Gerald said, but didn’t wait for her response. He proceeded through the opened front door, pen poised to take notes.

  He’s going to find the box and ask about it. It’ll get back to Mr. Blackwell, and then I’m going to be in big trouble for withholding information, she thought in a panic. She felt her stomach churn. JD trudged back to her office trailer and sank down to sit on the bottom step. I’m ruined, she thought miserably. This is it - this is what Mr. Blackwell was waiting for. I might as well start packing.

  The noise of the demolition continued. She wished she had had time to warn Matthew. Minutes dragged by, and she wondered if Gerald had found the box yet. JD glanced at her watch. Lunchtime. A moment later the noises stopped. As if on cue, Matthew’s crew emerged from the schoolhouse covered in dust and sweat. They made to their individual vehicles and drove off.

  The minutes dragged on and her stomach growled. Suddenly, Matthew appeared in the doorway with Gerald at his side, laughing and joking like old friends. She got to her feet, dusting herself off. Matthew and Gerald walked right past her and when they got to Gerald’s truck, Matthew clapped him on the shoulder and said something too low for her to understand. Gerald glanced over at her with a broad smile and waved. She raised her hand slowly to return the gesture, but he had gotten into his truck and didn’t see it. After a few more parting words with Matthew, Gerald drove away without a backward glance.

  Matthew ambled over to her, a cocky, lopsided grin on his face. JD gave him an incredulous look. He glanced about quickly and then pecked her cheek. It caught her slightly off-guard, but she was too distracted with what Gerald may have seen and might do, to worry about who would have seen Matthew’s kiss.

  “Did he see the box?”

  Matthew gave a short negative shake of his head. “Nah. I saw him coming and headed him off. Don’t worry about the box. We’ll have it out of here without a problem very soon.”

  She drew in a breath and sighed heavily. This could have ended in disaster. She hung her head, covering her face with both hands.

  Matthew nudged her elbow. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep Gerald off your back. He can be a real pest at times.”

  “We didn’t exactly hit it off. I had no idea who he was,” she admitted.

  Matthew shrugged. “There’s only one that you have to worry about.”

  “One what?” she asked, not sure she understood what he was referring to.

  “Building inspector,” Matthew said, grinning like he thought she was trying to be funny.

  “Just one building inspector? Then who is Nathan Parker?”

  Matthew’s expression shifted from amusement to stone cold seriousness in an instant. The transformation was startling and caused her hackles to rise.

  “He came here?” Matthew’s eyes narrowed as his voice had dropped to a growl.

  “Yesterday. Who is he?”

  Matthew’s eyes narrowed and then he turned on his heels and stalked away without a reply.

  Chapter 16

  It wasn’t until Friday when JD saw Matthew again. He was late showing up for work as he pulled into the parking lot with his radio blaring and tires skidding. Despite the odd reaction to her news that Nathan Parker had been at the site earlier, she felt a thrill of wild abandon from when he emerged from his truck in a tight white tank top and cargo pants.

  JD watched him spring from his truck, slip on his cowboy hat, and stride toward her office trailer. The rest of his crew would not arrive for another twenty or so minutes, so they had some time to be alone. She got to her feet and met him at the door.

  “Morning, sweetheart,” he murmured as he gathered her in his arms. She had to go on tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck and give him a squeeze him back. He kissed her cheek and mouth as her insides quivered excitedly.

  After a few minutes of his morning greeting, he tilted his head away from her and asked, “Miss me?”

  “Yeah, I did. Where were you?” JD laughed.

  He cocked an eyebrow at her, “Had an emergency, but everything ok while I was gone?”

  “Everything was quiet. Your guys came by and worked half a day. But enough about that,” she said and pulled him back in for another kiss. After a few moments, more, Matthew pulled away again and looked into her eyes. “You got plans this weekend?”

  She shook her head.

  Matthew grinned wolfishly at her. “Good. I’m taking you camping.”

  JD blinked in surprise then balked, “Camping? Like, outside in the dirt?” Matthew laughed.

  “No,” he said, “its girl friendly and it’s close by,” he assured her. Then he chuckled at her expression of relief.

  “I’ve never been camping in my life,” she admitted. The closest thing to camping she had ever done was weekend fishing trips to Gramps’ cabin at Lake Tahoe.

  “I will take care of everything.” He smiled and kissed her again. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon. One night is all.”

  “Okay,” she said weakly, wondering what she should wear and what she should pack. The sound of a truck pulling into the parking lot alerted them that their private rendezvous was over. JD quickly stepped away from him and went to her desk, trying to appear like she was in work mode as she typed away on her laptop. Matthew went to the coffee maker, poured himself a cup, and snatched a couple of donuts just as the rest of his crew entered to get their morning cups of coffee and pastries.

  JD nodded at their greetings before they conferred with Matthew about what they would be tackling today. Before they left, Matthew caught her eye and winked at her. Guilt began to gnaw at her as she realized that being caught making out with her contractor by his crew would not look good for her as the manager of the project, even if Mr. Blackwell or Rick never found out. She cringed inside at the thought and knew she would have to be more discreet in the future with Matthew. It just seemed that she had no willpower where Matthew was concerned and that caused her some unease. What was it about Matthew that had her so flustered and witless at the same time? Was this, what being in love was all about? Losing one’s senses and better judgment? JD shook her head. All she knew was that she loved being with him and the excitement and spontaneity he brought with him made her job even more interesting. Maybe it is love, she thought. She hoped it was, or else, well, she didn’t know what else it could be.

  On Saturday morning, JD decided to for a long run to ease her anxieties about the camping trip. Something about sleeping outside in the wild just did not seem safe to her and running and/or chocolate was the only thing that ever soothed her anxieties. Unfortunately, the local café was closed ad running was the only thing she do that early in the morning.

  The sun was just rising when she rounded the corner and headed for the Schoolhouse on her normal running route. She was surprised to see Nathan’s dark blue truck pulling out of the driveway at the other end. He drove past her, casting a look at her that she could not interpret. What could he possibly be doing here at this hour? JD ran to the schoolhouse for a quick once over. The front doors were locked. The office trailer was locked. Nothing looked amiss. She continued her run, dismissing any concerns Nathan’s appearance may have invoked.

  Later that afternoon, Matthew picked JD up at her apartment. She invited him in and showed him where her luggage was for
the trip. Unsure of what to bring, she had packed nearly everything she had brought with her from L.A.

  Matthew scratched his chin as he stood looking over the two suitcases and duffle bag. He cast a sideways glance at her and seeing her expectant look, smiled. Without a word, he picked up her suitcases and toted them down to his waiting truck as she managed the duffle bag.

  Minutes later they were on Highway 24 heading toward Capitol Reef National Park. Torrey was the gateway to the most spectacular National Park JD had ever seen. The Park was filled with radiantly-colored sandstone formations, bone-white domes, and red rock cliffs, towers, and arches. She remembered reading in a travel book Rick had given her that the Park protected what was called the Waterpocket Fold where the continents had collided, creating a wrinkle in the earth’s crust which extended from Thousand Lake Mountain southward to Lake Powell. Over millions of years, the ridges created by the colliding continents eroded, revealing layers of red sand, rock, earth, and fossils. The Fremont River, which ran red, carved canyons through some of it. The river was named after John Charles Fremont who was an explorer, as well as a historical figure in U.S. History. The pre-historic people, whose remains were discovered in the area, were named after the river.

  Seven miles later, Matthew pulled into the campgrounds of a historic town called Fruita. JD gaped in amazement as they wound their way through an orchard of apricot trees and saw deer grazing amongst the tress, hardly lifting an ear in their direction as they rumbled past.

  Several tents and camper trailers dotted the campground, but Matthew found them a spot near the Fremont River on a stretch of intense green lawn near a modern restroom facility, complete with fresh, running water and electricity.

  As Matthew busied himself setting up the camp site, she wandered about the orchard with a basket he had given her to pick some apricots. With the Fremont River rushing nearby, the serenity of the orchard, and the deer strolling about, JD felt like she was in a veritable Garden of Eden.

  When she returned with the basket filled with large, sweet-smelling apricots, she found that Matthew had a small tent set up with camp chairs and a crackling fire. Setting the basket down, JD looked at the tent, then at Matthew. “Where’s your tent?”

  “My tent?” he asked, looking confused as he looked at her then at the tent, “We’re sharing,” he said, then smiled smugly.

  “Uhm, no,” she said and crossed her arms. Matthew cocked an eyebrow, “Really? I mean, it’s going to get cold tonight. I wouldn’t want you to freeze.”

  “I brought my coat,” she said and returned his smug grin.

  “I guess I’m sleeping under the stars,” he said, then laughed as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

  As JD went through her luggage to find her coat and extra socks, Matthew roasted hotdogs over the campfire and then slid them into toasted buns. Drizzled with ketchup, mustard, and relish he handed one to JD when she returned. As they ate, JD couldn’t help but exclaim how beautiful the area was. Matthew gave her a brief history of the region, relating that it was settled by Mormons in the late 1800’s by eight to ten families who had survived on a barter system as they raised orchards that included not only apricots, but pears, apples, cherries, and even grapes. The government eventually bought them out, and the rest was history.

  “What about you?” Matthew asked, changing the topic. “Ever think about settling down somewhere, getting married, having a family?” He sat in a camp chair across from her, tossing twigs into the fire. JD nearly choked on the apricot she was enjoying. She shook her head as she cleared her throat.

  “No,” she said finally. Matthew gave her a quizzical expression before she continued. “I mean, I don’t think it’s really what I want to do with my life.”

  “Why?” he said in surprise.

  “My career is more important to me. I believe a family would demand too much of my time and hurt my chances of having a successful career.” She reached for another apricot.

  “So, you are not interested in marriage, at all?”

  JD looked away and shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose if the right guy came along and didn’t expect me to give up my career for him, I’d consider it.” She felt uncomfortable sharing that with Matthew, but no one had ever asked her before. She had hardly known him two weeks, and here they were talking about marriage and family. He couldn’t possibly be seriously thinking about that possibility so soon into their relationship. Could he?

  “Oh, the right guy.” Matthew rolled his eyes. “And what would be the right guy for you?”

  She considered the fire crackling happily in front of her and tossed in the apricot pit she had just uncovered. She glanced at him and saw that he was expecting an answer.

  “Like I said,” she replied slowly, “someone who would support me in my career. Someone who…” she paused. She had never really outlined what she wanted in a husband and she suddenly wondered why she hadn’t ever thought about it before.

  Matthew leaned forward, his forearms across his knees. His t-shirt sleeves slid back to reveal the tattoo clearly now, but she saw that a new symbol had been added, or she hadn’t noticed it before. It was a circle with a triangle inside and circle inside that. JD was momentarily distracted by the symbol. She had seen it before, but she couldn’t remember where.

  “Who?” Matthew prompted, distracting her.

  “Who what?” JD asked, shifting her attention back to his face.

  “You were describing the perfect man for you,” he said with a grin, “but I think you’re getting a little tired. You have that glassy-eyed stare.” He was right, she realized. She was tired, and it had been a long and stressful week.

  “Go to sleep,” he urged her. “Tomorrow, I’m taking you hiking and you’ll need all the rest you can get.” He stood and helped her to her feet. “Don’t look too hard for Mr. Perfect. He might be closer than you think.” He kissed her sweetly on the cheek.

  JD ducked into the tent. As she changed into her pajamas, she began thinking about Matthew’s last comment. Why was he so interested in her ideas about marriage? Was he checking to see how she would respond if he proposed? She lay down on her side, frowning as she reviewed their recent conversation. He couldn’t possibly be thinking about that so soon, could he? Would he expect her to settle down and raise a family? As much as she liked him, no, loved him, she couldn’t agree to marry him so soon. Would he be willing to wait a while? She drifted off to sleep where her dreams were a stew of confusing thoughts and ideas.

  ***

  Matthew could hear her breathing slow and her heart rate drop. He could sense her thoughts were troubling her, but what they involved, he could only guess. He was sure some of them were about him. He waited until he was sure she was sound asleep before he spoke a loud.

  “Been busy?” he asked.

  “Very,” came a voice across from him, near the tent where JD slept uneasily. “And apparently, so have you.” Nathan materialized then and he glanced in on JD before fixing his brother with an accusing glare.

  “I have to gain her trust.” Matthew spread his hands as if showing Nathan he had nothing to hide. “I have to make this look like a normal process. You know that. This is a delicate operation. I can’t leave her feeling suspicious.”

  Nathan squinted at him. “You don’t have to romance her along the way. Or is that part of your plan, too?”

  “You’re accusing me of crossing the line?”

  “Are you planning to?”

  Matthew shook his head. “You don’t have any faith in my intentions, do you? You always think I’m going to mess up and that you’ll have to clean up after me, don’t you?” Matthew leaned forward aggressively and snarled, “Not this time. I don’t need your help. I don’t need you to come to my rescue. I can do this, you just focus on your job and let me do mine.”

  Nathan raised a warning finger. “Don’t hurt her,” he said.

  Lifting his chin defiantly, Matthew spat, “You’ve already condemned me.”

&n
bsp; Nathan cast him a dark look, then shimmered suddenly and vanished.

  Matthew drew in a deep breath. He looked around and peered into the tent again. He could see her face clearly. He wanted to touch those lips again, wanted to feel her skin against his and take in her whole being with all his senses. Matthew pulled back, gritting his teeth, and not for the last time, feeling like Fate had been incredibly cruel.

  Chapter 17

  Matthew had bacon and eggs sizzling in a skillet over the fire when JD emerged from the tent. Though Matthew had outfitted the tent with an inflatable mattress and a thick sleeping bag, she still felt stiff and tired. The unfamiliar noises of the outdoors and night creatures had crept in and interrupted her slumber. She yawned as she glanced around, noting the sheer cliff walls poking above the tops of the apricot trees alight with the morning sun. Other campers were beginning to stir. Campfires crackled in the distance and deer moved like wisps of smoke through the orchard.

  “Morning, sweetheart,” Matthew drawled as he handed her a plate of food and then a cup of steaming coffee. She sat down in a camp chair and balanced a plate on her knees as she cupped the mug between her hands, sipping at the brew.

  “Eat up,” Matthew said. “You’ll need the calories for our hike today.”

  “Hike?” she glanced down at the running shoes she was wearing. Matthew looked down at her footwear too. “Those are fine,” he assured her.

  JD ate her fill and was soon riding shotgun with him over a winding road heading away from Highway 24. Matthew drove slowly so JD could take in the scenery of the desert. She could hardly believe that the little town of Fruita and its abundant orchards could exist surrounded by the bleak, bleached sandstone of the desert.

  “So, where are we going?” she asked turning back toward him as they bumped along on the unpaved road.

  “Cassidy’s Arch,” he said. “Butch’s old hideout. Perfect place to hide from the law. Still is.” He grinned at her mischievously. She only laughed at him.