“At least no one was in the building,” Vassar commented, walking away.
Kurt stepped a few paces closer to the building before turning at a shout from behind him.
“Hey, Kurt. Wait up.”
Jerrod grabbed a camera and backpack, along with the rest of his equipment, and jogged toward him. “What do you know so far?”
“Not much. Abandoned building. No one inside. No equipment, furnishings, or trash. Partition walls and general debris kept the fire going once the fuel flamed out. Point of origin appears to be in the far corner office. I’ll go in with you.”
Jerrod stepped inside and glanced around. “It’s large by Cold Creek standards.”
“Close to eight thousand square feet is what the captain said. About a third of the space had been offices, while the rest might have been warehouse or manufacturing space. Doesn’t make sense to set fire to a building unless…”
“Unless someone wanted to get their kicks by watching stuff burn,” Jerrod finished, already suspecting the barn fire and this one were related. Following Kurt to what had been a corner office, he took pictures and made notes, taking samples for testing. Finishing, he turned back toward the entrance. “Not much else I can do tonight. Feel free to join me at six tomorrow morning for a more detailed investigation.”
Kurt smiled at the prospect. He’d taken the courses necessary to become a fire investigator. All he waited for was the funding needed to become Jerrod’s assistant. Given the current economic environment, he wasn’t holding his breath.
“I thought you had plans with your lady tonight,” Jerrod uttered, looking around.
“We were at dinner when I got the call. Doesn’t matter. I doubt we’ll be seeing each other again, at least not on a date.” Kurt sighed, wishing he had a chance to discuss it with her. Now that he’d met her ex-boyfriend, he felt certain some of the friction between them had been due to unresolved feelings for Matt. Even though she’d said they were long over, the reality felt different once Kurt met him.
“Tell you what. Once you get cleaned up, meet me for a beer. You can whine about your dating problems, and I’ll whine about my lack of dating possibilities. It’s gotta be better than nursing a beer alone.”
“Done. I’ll see you in about an hour.”
******
Houston, Texas
“Of course, Ivan. I can bring on as many men as you need to handle the additional stock. Keep me posted on the delivery schedule. I’ll take care of everything from this end.” Gage hung up the phone, jotting down a few notes.
The owners in Mexico had an annoying habit of sending their rodeo stock in the same trucks as cattle meant for specific buyers. The increase in cattle imports from Mexico would require several new hires to cull the herd before sending the contracted number to buyers in the United States. Grateful for the expanded business and success of a company relatively new in the stock business, Gage still felt a twinge of uncertainty about what he considered haphazard practices. Interestingly, he’d gotten the same vibe from Ivan Santiago, as if he also had qualms about some of the orders coming from the two active majority owners—his uncles. It couldn’t be easy taking orders from family.
“Gage, you have a call from Cassie MacLaren. Should I take a message?” The receptionist stood outside his office, leaning against the doorframe, flashing him a warm smile.
“No, I’ll take the call. Thanks.” He watched her walk away, believing she communicated more than just a fashion statement with the short skirts and provocative tops she wore each day. Single and attractive, he allowed himself to look. Anything more held little appeal. He’d learned through hard experience you don’t date someone you work with every day. “Hello, Cassie.”
“Good morning, Gage. Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
He could hear a slight quiver in her voice and hoped this had nothing to do with Matt.
“Nope. How can I help you?”
“Cam asked that I give you a heads-up. He’ll be in Houston tomorrow and wondered if you’d have time to meet with him.”
“No problem. Give me his number and I’ll set it up.”
“That’s why he asked me to call. He’s in meetings at the corporate offices in Fire Mountain today. Heath had them all hand over their phones.” Cassie laughed, imagining the looks on all their faces when her father made the request. “If you’ll give me some times, I’ll make sure he gets the information, then confirm back with you.”
Gage chuckled. Like many companies, he knew the three elder MacLaren brothers ruled a pretty tight operation, but confiscating phones before a meeting was new to him.
“If he has no plans, let’s meet for dinner tomorrow night.”
“Great. Oh, here’s his number in case you need to reach him tomorrow.” Cassie rattled it off, fidgeting with her pen, glad Gage couldn’t see her. Knowing he and Matt were close friends, she kept the call short, not wanting to move into any topic that might include him.
“I assume all went well with Matt.”
She groaned inwardly at Gage’s offhanded comment. “Fine. No problems at all. Everything went just great. From what I heard, he’s in Montana meeting with Skye.” She took a breath, feeling her face color at the way she rambled. “I’ll let you go and will pass your request about dinner along to Cam. Thanks.”
Hearing her click off, Gage hung up, guessing he’d hit a sensitive spot. He’d known Matt a long time, yet over all those years, he’d mentioned Cassie only in passing—until the day she belted him outside Gage’s office. Afterwards, he’d learned much more, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake assigning Matt as the contact point for MacLaren Rodeo. Shaking off the thought, he grabbed the phone again.
“It’s Gage Templeton. I need to speak with Montgomery.”
******
Crooked Tree, Montana
MacLaren Rodeo, Bucking Bull Group
“Have a seat, Matt. Sean is out in the yard. I’ll go get him.” Skye gestured to a chair as she left to get her brother.
On the drive from Colorado, he’d made a few stops, meeting with the chairs of two rodeo committees and another supplier providing bull stock for rodeos. Double Ace had worked with them before and he hoped to continue, even with the association between MacLaren and his company.
Glancing around, he noticed the walls were covered with pictures of Rafe’s children—Mitch, Skye, Sean, and Rhett, the youngest one still in college. Like Cassie’s family in Fire Mountain, they’d competed in various rodeo events while growing up. Matt grinned, a crooked, regretful twist of his lips. Seems he might never break his ties with the MacLaren family. At this point, he didn’t believe he wanted to.
“Matt, it’s good to see you.” Sean entered the office first, extending his hand.
“Same here.” Matt gripped his hand. “Will Mitch be joining us?”
“Not today. He was unexpectedly summoned to a meeting in Fire Mountain yesterday.”
“Seems Heath called the presidents of the different groups together. They’re meeting with the brothers and top people at MacLaren Enterprises.” Skye referred to her father, Rafe, and his brothers, Heath and Jace.
“Sounds mysterious.” Matt drew his brows together, wondering what new deal they might be discussing, then pushed it from his mind. He had other business to discuss.
“It is. Those men are always working on some deal.” Skye set a bottle of water in front of each of them. “Seems you’re doing a lot of driving lately.”
“I left Houston a couple weeks ago. Visited some customers along the way, met with Cam and Cassie over two days, then came here. The plan is to take another three weeks on the way back to Houston.” Although he enjoyed the job and working with Gage, it didn’t quite fill the void left after his rodeo days.
“How’s Cassie doing?” Skye did her best to make it a casual question. She’d been there the day Cassie and Matt had seen each other for the first time after the split, witnessed the punch Cassie landed to his face, and sympathized with her
cousin over drinks that night. It had been plain she’d never gotten over Matt, but duty called. No matter her personal feelings, Skye had to put her own aside and work with him.
“Good.” Matt squirmed in his seat, lifting the bottle of water to his mouth to deflect more questions. He’d spent the entire last day in Cold Creek and the ride to Montana thinking of their kiss, wishing he hadn’t started it, then wishing he’d pushed it further. He figured it was God’s punishment for whatever misdeeds he’d committed. The one woman he couldn’t get enough of and couldn’t forget was also the one woman who could drive him crazy with her strong, competitive personality.
“Well, I guess we should get started.” Skye watched his expression twist and wondered if her question about Cassie triggered unease or regret. Either way, it was a private issue between Matt and Cassie.
******
“Guess that does it. Unless you have more to talk about,” Skye said.
“I think that’s it,” Matt answered, ready to get out of the office.
“Good. How about dinner?” Sean asked, standing and grabbing his hat.
“I’m in, as long as it includes a beer.” Matt picked up his own well-worn hat.
“Don’t they pay you enough at Double Ace to get yourself a decent cover?” Sean asked, a grin splitting his face.
Matt took another look at his old Stetson. “Hey, this hat has seen me through a lot of tough times and worse rides. Besides, breaking in a new hat is almost as hard as breaking in a new pair of boots.”
“Fair enough. What kind of food—” Sean broke off as his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he answered immediately. “Good evening, Heath… Yes, he’s here.” He handed Matt the phone, then turned away. “We’ll be in the lobby when you’re ready.” Sean and Skye stepped into the hall, leaving Matt to wonder what was going on.
“Heath, it’s Matt.” Listening, his body tensed, going on alert as Heath explained the reason for the call. “Tonight? But I have my truck here in Crooked Tree and meetings planned—” His mouth drew into a thin line when Heath interrupted. “Yes, sir. I understand. I’ll be at the airport in an hour.”
Walking down the stairs to the lobby, he handed the phone to Sean, knowing his face conveyed the confusion he felt.
“What’s going on?” Skye walked up next to them.
“I wish I knew. Heath has sent the company jet to pick me up in an hour at the airport. I’m to go to Fire Mountain and meet with him, Jace, and Rafe.”
“Tonight?” Sean’s bewildered expression mirrored Matt’s.
“He said it’s important we meet tonight.”
“Nothing about your grandfather or brother, I hope.” Sean had met Seth Garner and Matt’s younger brother, Troy, at Mitch’s wedding reception and knew Seth had raised his grandsons after their parents died in an accident.
“No. Heath said the family is fine, but he wouldn’t give me any other details.”
“Well, when any of the brothers request a meeting, it’s best to get it over with. At least that’s the way it is with our dad. I suspect it’s the same with the other two,” Sean said. “Come on. We’ve got an hour. We’ll grab dinner, then take you to the airport.”
Chapter Seven
“Can I get you anything to drink?” the co-pilot asked after the plane had leveled off. “We have a full bar, sodas, water.”
“Water would be fine. Thanks.” Matt sat back in his seat, unable to come up with a good reason for Heath’s summons. He’d known him his entire life. His parents and Cassie’s had been best friends until the accident. Over the years, Heath had become a father figure, a man Matt looked up to, wanted to please. The break with Cassie had been difficult on many levels, not the least of which was losing Heath’s respect. Now he wanted to meet with Matt, and there was no way he’d refuse.
According to the pilot, the flight would take a little more than two hours, giving him time for some much needed sleep. Folding his arms across his chest, he stretched out his long legs and closed his eyes. It was the best way he knew to rid his mind of unwanted thoughts of Cassie and his curiosity about the upcoming meeting.
“Mr. Garner, we’re about to start our descent into Fire Mountain.” The co-pilot touched his shoulder, making certain Matt was awake, then disappeared into the cockpit. He stared out the window at the nighttime view of Fire Mountain. It had been several years since he’d flown into the small airport. Not much had changed.
As they came to a halt after a smooth landing, he grabbed his overnight bag, then walked down the steps, spotting his grandfather standing next to his extended cab, long bed pickup. A relieved breath escaped his lungs.
“Pops.” He wrapped Seth in a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I called Heath about the new construction project we’re doing for them and he mentioned you flying in. He said a car would be sent for you,” he scoffed. “I told him to forget it. I’d deliver you to him after we had a few minutes to catch up.”
Tossing his bag in the back seat, Matt climbed in, spotting the expected folders on the seat between them. “MacLaren keeping you busy?”
“Those boys know how to create more work than any three men I’ve ever known. I’ve had to hire two new crews to keep up with the load.” Seth’s grumbled response hid his pleasure at keeping the construction business going. Before the accident which killed Matt’s parents, he’d planned to pass it along to his son, who’d worked for years to help keep it successful. Matt had no interest in following his grandfather into the business, although he didn’t rule out ending up there someday. His younger brother, Troy, wanted nothing more than to get his degree and work for the company.
“Is Troy in town?” Matt leaned his head against the seat, letting his body relax.
“Left last weekend. You know he finishes grad school at the end of the year.” A year younger than Matt, Troy had always planned to get his MBA. It had taken a few years longer than he’d planned, but Matt couldn’t be more proud of him.
“I’ll be at the graduation if that’s what you’re asking.” Matt glanced at Seth, a grin turning up the corners of his mouth.
“You’d better be. Without you sending a good chunk of your rodeo winnings a few years ago, who knows if he would’ve ever made it this far.” The economic crash had impacted Seth’s construction business, bringing some projects to a grinding halt. Between Seth’s savings, Troy’s part-time work and college loans, and Matt’s help, they’d all made it through.
“And now Heath has you working harder than ever.”
“True. It’s good for this old heart.” Seth thumped his chest a couple times, chuckling. Turning into Matt’s favorite drive-thru, they ordered, then parked the truck down the block by one of the MacLaren projects. “Pass me my burger, boy. I haven’t eaten since lunch.”
They ate in silence for several minutes, Matt studying the construction work. “What is it?”
“The MacLarens are building senior housing.” He indicated the building in front of them. “Next to it is low-income apartments for people who are struggling but don’t yet qualify under the senior category. I don’t know how they do it, but even with reduced rent, they still make money.”
“How about the high-end stuff?” Matt knew MacLaren Enterprises was also heavily invested in pricy condominiums and retail space in several towns in the western U.S. He figured the profits from one entity helped pay for the lower rents in others.
“We only work on the Arizona projects. We’ve got two large ones going in the valley. The rest are built by out-of-state contractors.” Seth tossed his empty wrapper aside, clutched the steering wheel with both hands, and pulled out into traffic.
Driving in silence to the MacLaren offices, Matt could feel the tension begin to build in the cab of the truck. He knew to wait it out when his grandfather had something on his mind.
“You know, Matt, I’m not getting any younger.” Seth stared at the road, wishing they had more time. “Troy is going to do a real fine job running
this business someday.”
Matt waited for him to continue. When Seth stayed silent, he turned in the seat to stare at him.
“What are you trying to say, Pops?”
Seth’s mouth formed a thin line, his expression not changing, although Matt knew he struggled with something. “I’ve got some health issues going on.”
Matt’s eyes widened, then narrowed at the news. Seth never talked about his health. Never. “Tell me.”
Clearing his throat, Seth shifted in his seat, still not looking at Matt. “Something about my prostate.”
Matt muttered a curse. “Pull over. We need to talk about this.”
“Heath wanted you at the office by nine. We’ll barely make it as it is. We can—”
“Pops, right now, I don’t give a damn what Heath has to say. This is more important.” He turned to look out the windshield. “Take that turnoff. We can talk there.”
Pulling over and cutting the engine, Seth got out of the truck, pacing to the front, and leaning against the hood. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a package of cinnamon gum, handing a piece to Matt.
“Look there.” Seth pointed to the sky. “A shooting star. Some people would take that as a sign.”
“A sign? You want to talk about a sign, Pops? We need to talk about what the doctor said.” Matt tried to control the worry building inside, knowing he was taking his fear out on his grandfather. “Please. Tell me.”
“A year ago, the tests and exams came back positive. The doc and I spoke, and when a second opinion came back with the same findings, we made the decision to have it treated with radiation.” Seth glanced at Matt standing a few feet away, his arms crossed, legs shoulder width apart.
“Go on.”
“Seemed to work, but it’s come back. Looks like I need surgery.”
Matt couldn’t stop the stream of curses as he dropped his arms and paced several feet away. Settling his hands on his hips, he looked up at the sky, wishing he could have any other conversation. Walking back, he leaned against the truck.
No Getting Over You Page 6