Radclyffe - Homestead

“Absolutely not.” Mary laughed. “The last thing I need is you two anywhere around, disrupting my system. Take your coffee and go somewhere else, both of you.”

Pete laughed, looking chagrined and a little bit pleased at being ordered around by his wife. He signaled for Clay to follow him, and she grabbed her coffee cup and followed through the beautifully restored farmhouse to what she took to be Pete’s office.

The room with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the drive was lined with bookcases on two walls and sported a modern wet bar in one corner and a big oak desk that commanded the center of the room. Pete gestured to a comfortable-looking captain’s chair in front of the desk while he sat behind it.

Clay sat, crossed her legs, and balanced her coffee cup on her knee. Townsend had closed the door behind them. Maybe his business arrangements were something he didn’t discuss with his wife in general, or maybe this discussion was something he particularly wanted to remain private. She regarded him steadily, waiting for him to open the conversation.

He sipped his coffee and studied her in turn. Finally, he said, “I imagine things would be a lot easier for you and your company if you had the support of the major landholders.”

“It’s always nice for the locals to be behind us. It’s important to NorthAm that we not disrupt the lives or the livelihood of the community.”

“I guess things have been a little rocky starting out.”

Clay said nothing. He was going somewhere and she figured she would just let him get there.

“When do you expect to be done with your assessments—up at Tess’s and elsewhere?”

“Shouldn’t be much longer. Some of the initial work was done by the advance team. We’re making progress at the Hansen parcel and almost finished at Tess’s. It’ll be another week before I can pinpoint the most likely areas for productive drilling.”

“Still looking at our three places?”

Clay smiled. “Well, I’m not actually looking at yours yet, since you haven’t given me permission.”

Townsend took a sip of coffee and set his cup down on a stone coaster. He leaned back in the big leather chair behind his big oak desk, looking just like every CEO she’d ever had the pleasure of jousting with.

“What if I told you I could bring the community around to supporting NorthAm. If I pushed to accept what you needed to do hereabouts, that would carry a lot of weight.” He smiled. “I might even be able to help out with those permits that seem to be hung up in red tape somewhere.”

Pete had influence, apparently. As one of the county’s largest landowners, that was no surprise. Clay nodded and smiled pleasantly. “Well, we certainly would welcome the support.”

He smiled thinly.

Clay waited. She wasn’t about to make the offer.

“Double the per-acre price for drilling rights,” Pete said.

“That assumes I even want to drill here.”

“You sign the preliminary agreement, you can bring your rigs in here and punch whatever holes you need to.” Pete shrugged. “I’m betting you’ll find what you want.”

“What about your concerns for your water and livestock?”

“That’s why I’ve got insurance.”

His offer to sell his rights at an inflated price wasn’t surprising. He wasn’t the first landowner to hold out for what he hoped would be a better deal than his neighbors had negotiated. She was authorized to pay what she wanted for rights, using her best judgment as to the potential value. Townsend’s land bordered half of Tess’s, and with his rights secured, she could probably avoid direct drilling on Tess’s farm. She named a figure a little bit under her top limit. He appeared to think it over, then countered higher as she’d expected he would.

They went back and forth a few times until Clay got tired of the wrangling. “That’s the best I can do. If I have to, I’ll drill elsewhere and set charges to open veins that will drain your gas without touching an inch of your land.”

“I think that price will work,” he finally said, a hard glint in his eyes.

Clay was glad she’d gotten breakfast first. She had a feeling she’d be going hungry otherwise. Townsend had held out and she didn’t blame him, but he was wrong to think she could be pushed into making a bad deal. She couldn’t be pushed if she was willing to walk away, and she always was. “I’ll have the attorneys draw up the paperwork. I’d like to move my equipment in as soon as we have a signed agreement. That’ll take a couple days.”

“Good enough,” Townsend said.

“In the meantime, I’ll speak to the town board and ask the Grange president to call another meeting. I should be able to lay out our plans then, and your vocal support will be appreciated.”

“You’ll have it,” Pete said.

“I don’t suppose you know anything about the break-in over at my construction camp last night?”

Townsend’s brows drew down. “Should I?”

“Well, it occurred to me that some of your acquaintances might have been a little eager to see us change our minds about setting up operations here.”

“If I’d gotten wind of anything like that, I would have put a stop to it. Even if I was completely opposed to you being here, I don’t support that kind of activity.”

“Fair enough.” Clay wasn’t sure she believed him, even though his end game had apparently been to sell his rights, just for more money than everyone else. He’d obviously stirred up resistance to make his eventual support more critical. It wasn’t a new game, and she’d seen plenty. Still, he might be telling the truth and the break-in was nothing more than some of the locals looking for an easy score. Clay stood and put her cup on his desk. “Thank your wife for the coffee and breakfast. It was excellent.”

Townsend stood. “I’ll tell her.”

“You should have the paperwork beginning of the week.”

He held out his hand. “Pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Sutter.”

“I’ll be in touch.” Clay shook his hand. Business was business, but she’d never trust Pete Townsend.

* * *

The rain hadn’t lessened as Clay left Townsend’s farm and headed back to Cambridge. She pulled in behind the bed-and-breakfast and took the elevator up to her floor. When the door opened, Ella was waiting in the hall.

“I saw you pull in. You’re not answering your phone,” Ella said.

Clay held up a hand. “I tried.” She tossed her phone to Ella. “Check the call record yourself.”

“Really. You think I’m going to do that?” Ella laughed shortly and handed the phone back. “I’ve been trying to get you ever since this storm broke. Roads are already washing out. I almost drove out to Tess’s to make sure you were all right.”

“What makes you think that’s where I was?”

“Because there’s nowhere else you would’ve been. Kelly already checked the trailer.”

“Come on, I want to get out of these wet clothes.” Clay motioned Ella into her room, stripped off her shirt and pants, and re-dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. “Since my whereabouts last night don’t have anything to do with business, I’d rather not go into it.”

“I’m not asking you to.” Ella leaned back against the closed door. “But you are my business, and if you’re going to insist on going rogue, I’m going to head back to New York. I can’t do my job like this.”

“Hell, Ella,” Clay muttered. “I need a little room right now. It’s…complicated.”

Ella smiled fleetingly. “I’m hearing that a lot. From where I’m standing, it doesn’t look that way. Maybe you and Tess need to settle the business issues first so you can figure out the rest of it.”

“Yeah. About that—I’m working on it.” Clay told Ella about Pete Townsend and the pending rights deal.

“Damn. I should have figured that angle earlier,” Ella said. “I’m still not ruling him out as being behind the attacks.”

“Neither am I. Any news from the local law?”

“No. The sheriff thinks last night was just random vandalism, and the hit-and-run investigation is stone cold.”

Clay sighed. “Well, hopefully we’ve seen the end of it.”

“You staying put for a while?”

“I need to get out to the camp, see what shape the files are in. But first I need to make a call.”

Ella gave her a long look. “I’ll leave you to it, then. But when you get ready to leave, I’m driving. Deal?”

“Deal—and Ella, thanks.” Clay waited until the door closed and then placed her call. Miraculously she not only had a signal, but the call was answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Tess, it’s me,” Clay said.

Tess stood at the kitchen window, her back to the wood-burning stove, watching the rain scour trenches into the drive and collect in pools in the pastures. When she’d checked the creek on her way back to the house, it had already risen a couple of feet, and broken branches and other debris swirled in the roiling muddy water. If the storm kept up at the rate it had the last few hours, the creek would overflow and the fields would flood. Already, parts of the drive looked on the verge of washing out. Their prayers for rain had been answered, but God or someone was laughing.

“Tess?” Clay’s voice was staticky but strong.

“I’m here,” she said wearily. “Did you make it back all right?”

“Yeah, fine. How are things out there?”

“All right for now. Ask me again in twelve hours.” Tess hadn’t expected Clay to call—she hadn’t known what to expect. Part of her thought she’d driven her away, that she’d never see her again, and that part of her wept for all they’d shared and for the loss of all the magical moments that might have been. She couldn’t deny—didn’t want to deny—the hours they’d spent so deep inside one another there’d been nothing else—no past hurts, no present questions, no future fears. And the other part of her, the one that wanted to push her away and wanted her gone, resisted the rapid beat of her heart and the tingling that started in her throat and streamed through her like an electric charge at the mere sound of Clay’s voice. If she locked Clay out of her heart, she would be safe and her life would go on as it had been—hard but rewarding, solitary but fulfilling. After all, she wasn’t a teenager any longer—she was beyond taking risks and challenging the fates. Wasn’t she? “I think I might owe you an apology.”

“I can’t imagine why.”

“I didn’t handle everything you told me this morning very well. I’m afraid I let my feelings get in the way of my judgment.” Tess thought about the stories she’d told herself all her life—of who she was, who Clay was, and who was to blame for writing an ending that broke her heart. “I was wrong to put it all on you. I—”

“No, you weren’t. I screwed up. Look, I’m headed out to the construction camp. I need to come by and talk to you.”

“Today?” Tess scanned the sky. The sun was a memory, buried behind a wall of dense black cloud. The rain gauge clamped to a post in the yard was filling fast, and the rain showed no sign of letting up. “That’s not a great idea. We’re getting an inch an hour, maybe more. That’s flood level, Clay, and the kind of flash floods we get around here can take a car under pretty fast.”

“I’ve got a big SUV,” Clay said with bravado that came clearly down the line. “But I’ll be careful. Can I see you?”

She should say no—even if Clay was crazy enough to travel in this, and of course she was, she should say no until she had more time to absorb everything she’d learned about Ray. Until she could find solid ground again. “The ground has only ever been solid with you.”

“What?”

When she wiped the clouds of disillusionment away, Tess knew with absolute certainty she’d never been more secure, more confident, and more ready to take on any challenge than when she’d been with Clay. She’d been managing just fine on her own, but the world had grown smaller and a little darker. “There’s something I want to talk to you about too. So if you can make it, you’re welcome to come by.”

“I’ll be there in an hour. Do you need anything?”

Tess smiled wryly. There were a lot of things she needed, but nothing she could ask Clay for. To rewrite the past was never an option for anyone, and she’d finally accepted that. To undo the secret dealings Ray had had with Clay’s father? Not Clay’s fault or problem to fix. To stop the rain before the crops drowned? Beyond anyone’s powers. To give her the strength to trust again? Only she could do that.

“Just get here safely,” Tess said, and as she spoke, she realized that was all she really wanted. She wanted Clay. “Just be safe.”