by Delta James
“I take it their efforts have not been successful with you?”
“Not one damn bit and they know it. They’re a little too slick... a little too polished for me. They’re touting how the hotel and casino will bring jobs and money into the economy. It’ll also bring the wrong kind of tourists, the mafia and the crime that comes along with them. The sheriff doesn’t care for them either.”
“Hey, I ran into Charlie Murdock at the memorial garden. He said he’s going to work as a deputy.”
“He’s a nice boy, Halley. He served in the army overseas. He left a callow youth and came home a nice young man.”
“That’s what I thought when I saw him. I was happy to see him.”
“You’re going to fight this proposal, aren’t you?”
“Professionally, I have to conduct a non-biased, scientific study, but I think the results will back my personal feelings. Personally, I plan to make their lives a living hell,” she laughed as she left the office.
Halley spotted the office of the Running Waters Development Company immediately. It was charming and chic and gave no indication that the resort they were proposing was anything more than a hotel and casino. Halley had no doubt it would bring a lot of business into their sleepy backwater. She was just as sure that it would damage if not destroy the way of life that many in the town and its surrounding area treasured. As she entered the unlocked door, a little brass bell over the door rang.
A handsome young man stepped out of a private office. He was dressed casually in a sweater and jeans. At first glance he looked like any other local, but a casual glance would not reveal the truth. His hair had been professionally cut and styled by a high-end salon, his jeans were by a trendy designer, and the sweater was cashmere. Halley smiled; he’d taken a lot of time, trouble, and money to look like he fit right in. Annie was right; he was a little too slick for Halley’s taste.
“Good morning,” the cultured voice said with a practiced smile that did not quite make it to his eyes. “How may I help you?”
“I’m Halley Jordan. I’ve been asked to conduct a wildlife study regarding your proposed development. I have to tell you that I grew up here and am more than a little bit familiar with your proposal. Let me be up front with you. You shouldn’t expect my findings to support your plans for this so-called resort.”
“Whoa! Do you always enter someone’s office guns blazing?” he quipped, amping up the wattage on his dazzling smile.
“I do when I recognize the place I’m entering is the devil’s den and houses the opposition. I just thought we ought to be able to get a good look at each other and know where the other stands.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” he said, trying to coax a smile from her.
Halley shook her head. She’d been around guys like this from the time she’d left for college. They were too rehearsed and studied for their own good, thought they had the world by the tail and that women would drop at their feet for any attention from them whatsoever.
“Oh, but I do. You’re one of the guys from the development company in Denver that’s already built one hotel and casino complex. The crime rate has gone sky high in that area and the native plants and species have been gravely impacted. You want to put another one in my town and destroy not only our way of life but a great deal of the wilderness that surrounds us.”
“Our proposed development could help bring a lot of business to this town and give it a real influx of cash.”
“It might, but not for the people who already call this place home. Even from first glance I can see that your proposal will decrease the natural and native habitat for numerous species. I’m sure once I’ve had a chance to study it in detail as well as the negative initial Environmental Impact Statement, I’ll find even more to object to.”
“We were told we’d get a fair hearing,” he challenged.
“And you will. I’m just one of the cogs in the wheel. The EPA and the Fish and Wildlife Service have requested assistance in assessing the harm that might come from allowing you to proceed. I’ll be doing a wildlife study of the area, specifically how some of the species that have been reintroduced into this area are faring and how your development might impact them. For the record, grizzlies, wolves, and lynx don’t much care for humans invading their territories. There is absolutely nothing about your casino that will be good for them.”
He walked out from behind the reception counter and extended his hand. “Well, Halley Jordan, my name is Cal.”
“Cal what?”
“Just Cal,” he said without lowering his hand. “I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot.”
“Well, Just Cal, you can put your hand away. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have a right foot to stand on. As I said, I just wanted to get a good look at the opposition and let you know that while my scientific research will be above reproach, personally I’ll be fighting you every step of the way.”
Halley watched as Just Cal’s carefully plastered smile began to crumble away. “You might want to go easy, Miss...”
“It’s Doctor, Just Cal,” she said.
“I stand corrected.” The smile faded completely and the tone turned nasty. “You may want to watch your step, Dr. Jordan. There are formidable forces and a lot of money behind the effort to get the hotel and casino put here. The people I work for aren’t used to taking no for an answer and have the ability to squash the opposition if warranted.”
“Threats already? How absolutely charming. You want a fight? Bring it on. As for your threat? Be advised I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and will be armed. You and your bully boys want to take a run at me? Take your best shot. Doing so ain’t for the faint of heart. You have yourself a lovely day and enjoy our town. I don’t think you’ll be here for long.”
She turned on her heel and exited the building. She laughed as she heard something crash against the door as it closed. No doubt about it, she’d made her point with Just Cal. She walked back to her truck inordinately happy with the exchange. She shook her head; her grandmother would have been proud.
Kaye called as Halley got into her truck to see if Halley wanted to head to one of the ski resort towns close by where they’d be able to find new furnishings for her room. Halley agreed and offered to pick Kaye up. The two had a lovely day catching up and then putting her room together. They were sitting on the front porch enjoying a beer when Charlie rolled up in his new patrol vehicle.
“Ladies,” he called cordially as he stepped out.
“Charlie,” they said in unison.
He shook his head. “Halley, you’re barely back twenty-four hours and have already pissed off some of the local bigwigs.”
“You mean Just Cal? Did he complain to the sheriff?”
“He did. He reiterated that they were only here to do good and didn’t appreciate some local troublemaker basically throwing down a gauntlet.”
“Funny that he didn’t pick it up while I was there but opted to go whine to the sheriff. I can assure you I did nothing illegal or even inappropriate. A bit bitchy perhaps, but nothing that will compromise my findings. I merely introduced myself and let him know that I would be one of those opposing their plans.”
Kaye laughed. “You get ‘em, Hal.”
Charlie shook his finger at Kaye. “Do not encourage her. These guys are big money and they have a lot of power behind them. You might want to tread lightly.”
Halley smiled. “The only place I do that is out in the wilderness. Those development boys can kiss my ass.”
“Seriously, Halley, watch your step. There’s a lot of locals who want this, and these Denver boys know how to play hardball.”
“So do I, Charlie...”
“All the same, watch yourself. Kaye, can I give you a lift home?”
Kaye looked at Halley and grinned. “Sure, Deputy Murdock. That would be real nice of you... wouldn’t it, Halley?”
Halley returned her friend’s smile. “If you say so. You two kids have fun.
”
Kaye stepped off the porch with Charlie’s hand in the small of her back. As they headed toward his vehicle, Charlie’s hand drifted lower so that it rested on Kaye’s ass as she allowed him to escort her to his car. Halley shook her head and made a mental note to ask Kaye when that had started. Charlie had never been a bad guy, just a horny teenager. And she thought that two tours of duty had most likely resolved that.
Halley sat on the porch as darkness fell. The front porch lights came on automatically so she finished her beer and just rocked. She’d almost forgotten how peaceful it was just to sit and be present in the moment. She got up to head inside and stopped as she heard a lone wolf call and the scream of a lynx as it shattered the fallen night.
Halley was asleep and dreaming of the man who had saved her from the cougar. Over the years she had come to believe that the stories she heard from her grandmother and others had to have some basis in truth. It was hard to reconcile that it could be the same man. After all, no one lived that long, but she had to admit the romantic in her liked the idea that the original Spirit of the Bear had been a man who became a bear to avenge his murdered wife and then continued to protect the wilderness and help those who needed it.
Her peaceful slumber was disturbed when something woke her. She sat up and listened intently. At first, she could only hear the ticking of the pendulum clock hanging on the wall opposite her bed. Then she heard what sounded like someone, or more than one someone, outside the house. The house was far too removed from town, and it was entirely too late, for anyone to be here with anything less than nefarious intentions.
Silently, Halley pulled a long sweater over her head that covered her to mid-thigh and slipped down the stairs. She took the antique shotgun down from the mantel. Her grandmother had always kept it primed. She pulled open the drawer from the box that sat on the hearth and loaded both barrels. Halley knew the old house well and crept to the front window where she could peek out and see if there was anyone skulking about.
There, in her driveway, were five men. She couldn’t be sure as they were just outside the range of the yard lights, but she would have sworn one of them was Just Cal. She knew better than to step outside where she would be illuminated by the front porch light. She went out the kitchen door at the back of the house and made her way around to the shed, so she could use it as shelter.
“Gentlemen?” she called, startling them. “I don’t remember sending you invitations to come visit me nor did I give you permission to come calling. You need to leave here immediately.”
“You need to mind your own business,” one of them called back.
“Hey, Just Cal, remind your friends that I’m an official representative of the federal government and threatening me is not a good idea. And yes, Just Cal, I know you’re with them. Now, get off my land.”
“We know who you are, Halley Jordan. Consider this a friendly warning...”
Halley unloaded one barrel of the shotgun into the ground at their feet and smiled as they all jumped backward.
“Yeah?” she taunted. “So was that. The next time I’ll sight my gun on something other than the ground. Didn’t you hear me? Clear out!”
She watched them disperse so they were not all standing together. It was at that moment that she regretted not having pocketed more ammunition and/or calling the sheriff’s department before confronting the men who stood on her driveway. Halley moved back into the shadows and away from her earlier position. They didn’t need to know where she was.
* * *
Bear watched her confront the men. What the hell was wrong with her? Why had she left the safety of the house or not called the authorities? The one time he had talked to her grandmother, Sophia had warned him that her granddaughter was spirited and could be a bit foolhardy.
Five years ago, the old woman had come looking for him when she had learned her illness was terminal. She began wandering the woods calling his name. At first, he had ignored her but watched to ensure she was safe. Finally, she’d sat down on a fallen tree and hollered that she needed to talk to him and was willing to wait. Bear waited for more than five hours before finally joining her in the clearing.
“So, you finally decided to come talk to me?” she had asked.
“You are a stubborn old woman,” he had replied.
“I am. But I know who you are.”
“I am the Spirit of the Bear when he possesses me.”
“I don’t know about all of that, but I do know that you are Cade Devereaux.” She had smiled at the look of shock upon his face. “I don’t know how whatever happened to you happened, but don’t bother trying to deny it. For more than two hundred years, you’ve protected this land and the people and animals who chose to live our lives here.”
Cade had searched her face and knew that he would never be able to convince her otherwise. He walked over to the log and sat down beside her.
“I can’t explain it either. I just know that when my wife was murdered, I prayed for strength and to see those who killed her dead. I started tracking them and when I sought shelter in the base of a tree, I went to sleep and woke up as a bear. I’ve been doing that ever since. There’s no rhyme or reason for how long I hibernate, if that’s what it is. I do know that I am awakened when there is a need for me.”
“I know you saved her,” she had said softly. “I don’t know how much time I have left, Cade. Halley is the only thing in this world that matters to me. I’m dying and I worry about her.”
“She seems strong and capable.”
Sophia had nodded. “That she is. Sometimes too much for her own good. Like you, she loves this valley, the mountains, and all the creatures that dwell here. I have a bad feeling about what’s coming. I’ve spotted a couple of surveyors out in the wilderness. No need for them to be here. Except gambling is now legal in Colorado and I fear there are those who would destroy our town and this land to put up a casino.”
“Progress is difficult to stop,” he said sadly.
“But not impossible, and Halley knows that. She won’t back down from a fight. The men who want to put up a casino won’t think twice about killing off some wildlife biologist that got in their way. I need to know you’ll protect her.”
“I can’t give you that promise. I never know how long I will be awake.”
“But you haven’t hibernated since the cougar attacked her, have you? I’ve seen and felt your presence close to my home... especially when Halley is around. You’re connected to her somehow.”
This was not a topic Bear wished to discuss with her. The feelings of lust and dominance that he experienced when Halley was around were not ones he wanted to explore or share with anyone, especially her grandmother.
He nodded. “I am. I can’t explain why or how I know, but I do.”
“Watch over her for me, Cade. I have a feeling she’ll come home to fight these people. You’re going to need to keep her safe. Promise me you will do that.”
Bear smiled sadly. “But who will keep her safe from me?”
“You would never harm her. You have never harmed a woman or a child.”
“Nor have I felt for one what I feel for her. Not even my wife prompted the lust in me that I experience when I see your Halley.” Bear decided it was probably best if he shocked the old woman so she would find another protector for her granddaughter.
“And would it be so bad if she were yours?” the old woman had asked softly.
Bear had laughed bitterly. “Yes. If Halley were mine, she would be mine in every way. She would obey me or face the consequences. I am not an easy man to please. A modern girl like your Halley would hate being my woman.”
“But you would keep her safe. You would take care of her. Dare I say, you might even grow to love her?”
He had growled at the old woman as the bear inside him tried to come forward. He had to fight to keep from shifting. “Do not ask this thing of me.”
“I have no one else to ask,” she’d said. “I’ve known your s
ecret since before you saved Halley. I’m the one that insured the homestead you built with your wife didn’t get turned under by a plow or a bulldozer. I’m the one that paid to have the memorial garden set up with the chimney from your cabin and your wife’s ashes protected as its centerpiece. You owe me, Cade Devereaux, and I’m calling in my marker.”
“I can see where your granddaughter got her obstinance.”
“No doubt you can. But do I have your word?”
He had nodded.
“Then,” she’d said, “I can die in peace. Take care of her, Cade. Do what you need to do to keep her safe and perhaps the two of you will find happiness together.”
Chapter Three
Halley was inching her way back to the kitchen door when the muzzle of a gun was pressed to the back of her neck.
“Why don’t you take it real easy, Dr. Jordan, and hand that shotgun back to me? Then we’ll go sit on your porch and have us a little chat.” The accent was pure Chicago.
“I take it that isn’t a real request but more your way of giving me an order?”
“You’re a bright girl... that’s what everybody says. I’m sure we can come to an understanding.”
“I’m not a girl, asshole, and haven’t been for a long time. Sure, let’s go sit on the porch, but don’t expect me to offer you a beer.”
He laughed. It wasn’t a pleasant sound.
Halley handed him the shotgun and then headed toward the porch.
“See here, fellas? Dr. Jordan is willing to listen to reason, aren’t you, Dr. Jordan?”
“You bet. As long as you have that gun leveled at me, I’m more than willing to listen.”
“Why, hello, pretty,” said another heavily accented voice. “Cal, you didn’t mention that Dr. Jordan here is a looker—legs that go on forever and a great rack. Maybe she and I should adjourn inside and have our little talk. It’s been a while, and my cock wouldn’t mind coming out for a spin.”
“Or we could take turns,” offered Cal.