sliding his fingers into hers. Liam led her along the fence line, away from the makeshift runway down to a small road. It cut through the countryside, a sore on the surface of the land. He watched as Sarah cast glances back at the drilling. A frown marred her face. A tiny smudge of dirt rested high on her cheekbone, and he curled his fingers into his fist to avoid reaching out and brushing it away.
Sarah reached into her bag to retrieve a notepad. She pulled a pen from the spiral binding, then flipped it open. Dating the page, she began to scribble notes. Liam tried not to watch over her shoulder, but the urge to know what she wrote made him look. First she jotted a few things about the view, the hills and mountains. Then she wrote about the drilling itself. For someone who was supposed to write an impartial report, the words she used were anything but. As he watched her write, a smile grew on his face. Perhaps the Quintursa was right after all. He wondered how Washington would receive her report and if she knew the hornet’s nest she was about to kick over.
Chapter Five
Liam halted halfway up the stairs to tell Sarah that they were headed out to camp again, this time without consulting the Quintursa first, he stopped. Her raised voice drifted into the hallway. She must be talking on the phone. His brother had left early in the morning for a personal hiking trip. Aside from him, no one else was in the lodge.
He crept up the stairs, not wanting to eavesdrop, but if her conversation had anything to do with her report or him, he needed to know. The Quintursa needed to know. Liam frowned, not liking reporting everything back to them, yet knowing how important it was. Two doors down, he halted.
“I don’t care what you say, it’s more important than that, Walt. You haven’t seen the drilling. All you care about is that you get cheap gas for your BMW.”
Liam flinched at the vehemence in her words. Whoever Walt was, he didn’t envy the man.
“Look you’re the one telling me that I have to see this issue from both sides. Why can’t you see it from mine?”
Her voice stopped, as if the person on the other end of the phone had cut her off. In her room, Sarah paced. Her steady footfalls carried her across the room and back again, the swishing of her socks against the hardwood floor, paused only when she stepped over one of the braided rugs. Listening to them, he could count the number of times she paced. Various sighs and groans, none of them happy, emanated from the room.
“Walt, now isn’t the time to bring up the ring,” Sarah sighed.
Ring? He remembered not seeing one on her fingers. Could this Walt be a boyfriend? If so, he was an ass for letting her come to Alaska by herself. He would have demanded to go with her if Sarah were his girlfriend. Of course, she might call him lots of names like Neanderthal, but at least he’d be with her, not all the way across the lower forty-eight shouting into a cell phone. Liam smirked.
“Yes, I know I haven’t worn it except for special occasions. We’ve talked about this. I’m not sure I want to be the wife of one up DC’s up and coming lawyers. You’re as married to your job as I am. I want—”
Liam leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. So she didn’t think she wanted to be his wife, did she? He struggled to stifle the grin that spread across his face. Had to give the woman credit, she stood up for what she believed in. But then, if she didn’t, he doubted he would have taken on her request for this tour and the Quintursa wouldn’t be so involved in this report. Then again, who knew what the Quintursa knew or did? He certainly didn’t. He simply took orders from them.
“Walt, I’m tired of discussing this with you. I’m here and I’m going to do the best damn job I can on that report. If you don’t like that, then maybe there’s a reason why I’m not wearing your ring. I’m sorry.”
Liam straightened. He hated listening in
Sarah reached into her bag to retrieve a notepad. She pulled a pen from the spiral binding, then flipped it open. Dating the page, she began to scribble notes. Liam tried not to watch over her shoulder, but the urge to know what she wrote made him look. First she jotted a few things about the view, the hills and mountains. Then she wrote about the drilling itself. For someone who was supposed to write an impartial report, the words she used were anything but. As he watched her write, a smile grew on his face. Perhaps the Quintursa was right after all. He wondered how Washington would receive her report and if she knew the hornet’s nest she was about to kick over.
Chapter Five
Liam halted halfway up the stairs to tell Sarah that they were headed out to camp again, this time without consulting the Quintursa first, he stopped. Her raised voice drifted into the hallway. She must be talking on the phone. His brother had left early in the morning for a personal hiking trip. Aside from him, no one else was in the lodge.
He crept up the stairs, not wanting to eavesdrop, but if her conversation had anything to do with her report or him, he needed to know. The Quintursa needed to know. Liam frowned, not liking reporting everything back to them, yet knowing how important it was. Two doors down, he halted.
“I don’t care what you say, it’s more important than that, Walt. You haven’t seen the drilling. All you care about is that you get cheap gas for your BMW.”
Liam flinched at the vehemence in her words. Whoever Walt was, he didn’t envy the man.
“Look you’re the one telling me that I have to see this issue from both sides. Why can’t you see it from mine?”
Her voice stopped, as if the person on the other end of the phone had cut her off. In her room, Sarah paced. Her steady footfalls carried her across the room and back again, the swishing of her socks against the hardwood floor, paused only when she stepped over one of the braided rugs. Listening to them, he could count the number of times she paced. Various sighs and groans, none of them happy, emanated from the room.
“Walt, now isn’t the time to bring up the ring,” Sarah sighed.
Ring? He remembered not seeing one on her fingers. Could this Walt be a boyfriend? If so, he was an ass for letting her come to Alaska by herself. He would have demanded to go with her if Sarah were his girlfriend. Of course, she might call him lots of names like Neanderthal, but at least he’d be with her, not all the way across the lower forty-eight shouting into a cell phone. Liam smirked.
“Yes, I know I haven’t worn it except for special occasions. We’ve talked about this. I’m not sure I want to be the wife of one up DC’s up and coming lawyers. You’re as married to your job as I am. I want—”
Liam leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. So she didn’t think she wanted to be his wife, did she? He struggled to stifle the grin that spread across his face. Had to give the woman credit, she stood up for what she believed in. But then, if she didn’t, he doubted he would have taken on her request for this tour and the Quintursa wouldn’t be so involved in this report. Then again, who knew what the Quintursa knew or did? He certainly didn’t. He simply took orders from them.
“Walt, I’m tired of discussing this with you. I’m here and I’m going to do the best damn job I can on that report. If you don’t like that, then maybe there’s a reason why I’m not wearing your ring. I’m sorry.”
Liam straightened. He hated listening in
Similar Books
