So Hard To Forget Part 9

It was more than a guess, and she wondered how he knew her so well. "Once, a long time ago, although it was actually in the fall. The weather here can be crazy. We'd just had our first snowfall, and then the temperature rose, so it felt like summer. As Wonderful as it was to see the field covered with ice and the steam rise off the water, I'd never do it again. I got caught in a sudden snowstorm." She didn't tell him that Charlie had warned her of the dangers and the changing weather, but she'd made up her mind. "That was one trip that scared the h.e.l.l out of me."

"You're a risk taker. You'll probably do it again someday." The realization bothered him, yet at the same time pleased him. He needed to know she was willing to gamble, take chances and keep a steady head in the face of danger.

Nicole opened the small cooler and pulled out the chilled fresh strawberries. ""JD usually likes to dip them in Grand Marnier, then roll them in powdered sugar or chocolate."

"But you like them like this. Me, too."

She studied the deep red berries before she bit into one. "I would have brought champagne, but I know you're not fond of it."

As he munched on the strawberry, he filed away the fact that she was observant. The more he tallied Nicole's strengths and compared them to Sandra's, the more convinced he was his plan would work. There were going to be some major hurdles to overcome when they got back to the ranch, but all in all he was pleased with himseifi "You're awfully thoughtful," she said.

"It's the warm water, the sun, the scent of fresh earth and strawberries. It's a turn-on, and I'm trying to ignore the temptation of having you so close to me."

"Is that all you think about?" She sucked juice from her fingers.

"When I'm with you-Dammit don't do that." He grabbed her hand and began licking her fingertips.

She closed her eyes, letting herself drift on the sensations rippling through her. "You better stop," she said, her voice barely audible, "or you might start something you can't finish."

He kissed the inside of her wrist, pushed the s.h.i.+rt-sleeve back and began working up her arm to the bend in her elbow. "Think of it as a challenge. We'll have to find a new way to--"

He was interrupted by the sharp sound of gunshots. Before he could comment or question Nicole, she was on her feet. He quickly got up and stood beside her.

"Rifle shots," she said.

He looked grim. "Two."

"Three. Two were fired at the same time. Come on." She jammed her feet into her boots, then took off for the leep. "It's not far from here. I think I know where."

"Nicole." He hopped on one foot at a time as he pulled on his boots, then grabbed both his and her socks. "Damreit." She didn't wait and he raced to catch up with her. At the Jeep, he said, "What the h.e.l.l do you think you're going to do?" He grasped her shoulder with one hand, then tossed the socks in the open window of the Jeep with the other.

She twisted out of his grip, reached into the back of the Jeep and pulled out her rifle. Double-checking that it was loaded, she tucked it under her arm, grabbed some extra bullets, then picked up her cellular phone and shoved it into her back pocket. She looked at Max. "There's no hunting on the mountain. Everyone knows that. No one is supposed to be this far up but us."

"They're poachers, Nicky, and could be dangerOUS "You're right."

He visibly relaxed.

"Why don't you stay by the Jeep while I check it out?" she said.

"What?"

"I'll take one of the walkie-talkies and let you know what's happening."

She started to walk off. He grabbed her arm and yanked her back. "Wait a d.a.m.n minute. You're not going alone!"

Nicole sighed. "I'd never have taken you for one of those macho types." She opened the ver's door and pulled a .357 Magnum from the pocket flap. "This is loaded. Do you know how to handle it?"

"Absolutely," he said. He had to hand it to her--she came loaded for bear. The gun in his hand was lethal by anyone's standards. It was also big, heavy and the meanest son of a b.i.t.c.h he'd ever held. He had a feeling Nicole could handle it as easily as he could.

"Don't pout. I'm more than able to take care of myself--and you," she said. "You can come along for window dressing."

"Dressing? I..." There was no use arguing. He couldn't win if he tried, and there were warning bells going off in his head about quarreling with a woman who was carrying a rifle the size of a cannon. So he quickly checked the safety of the gun, tucked it into the back of his waistband, then took off after her.

It didn't take long to see she was half mountain goat and as agile as a cat. She held the rifle in both hands, using it like a balance pole, as she ascended the steep incline, knowing instinctively where to place each foot. He grabbed at anything and everything to pull himself along and keep upright.

When Nicole reached level ground, she turned and waited for Max to join her. She was impressed he'd managed to stay so close behind her. "Where'd you learn to scale a mountain?" she asked.

He was struggling not to breathe hard and give away that his lungs were in dire need of air. "The Navy." It was all he could manage and still sound normal, but he wanted to laugh at her surprised press ion and the oxymoron of his statement.

"There's a clearing not too far from here. I'm move out, and once again he stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Don't you think a plan of action would be better than just rus.h.i.+ng in?" The look of disgust she gave him made him wish he'd kept his worries to himself.

"I never do anything rashly, New York." Anger made her green eyes flash. Then she sighed. "Look, Max. I know this mountain better than anyone. Just follow me, do as I say and don't get in my way."

He didn't like being considered so inept. And taking orders from Nicole stung. He tamed his misgivings and followed, noticing she was making a special effort to move quietly. Her steps were light and studied, and she was careful not to step on a branch or slip on a moss-slick rock.

At last she stopped and listened. She put a finger to her lips and pointed to her right. Then she cupped her ear, signaling him to listen.

It took him a moment to block out the sounds of the forest and his own hammering heart so he could hear the voices. They were far enough away that he couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like two men. Loaded guns and poachers were a deadly combination.

Nicole eased forward, taking extra precautions to be silent as she closed in on the clearing. The voices became louder and clearer, and she dropped to the ground in a squat. She realized she'd been so sure of Max and his abilities that she never once gave him a thought. He was where she knew he'd be---right behind her and following her lead.

With the barrel of her rifle she parted the branches of the thick bush. "Two of them," she whispered. "They're looking at something on the". She didn't want to give Max time to demand a discussion for a plan of action. Before he could react or try to stop her, she stood up, brought the rifle to her shoulder, aimed and fired, putting two quick shots between each man's feet. "Drop your rifles. Now! Or the next shot will be in the kneecaps." She was still and focused until she saw their rifles. .h.i.t the ground and their hands in the air.

She moved so fast Max didn't have time to do more than gawk. When her rifle went off, he'd nearly lost his breakfast. When he saw where the shots had hit he felt immensely relieved. He followed her out into the clearing, pulling the gun from his waistband.

"I know you two," Nicole said as she examined their trophy kill. She struggled for control over the hot surge of rage that almost swamped all her reasoning and rational judgment. When she was calm enough to think without wanting to pull the trigger again, she glanced up from the dead gray wolf at her feet. "You're from the Circle C. I've seen you around. In places you shouldn't have been."

Max glanced from one man to the other, noticing the scraggly beards and dirty clothes. They might be unkempt and scruffy, but their clothing, boota and rifles were top of the line.

"I don't know what you're talking about, lady. We've lost a couple of catt leg he gestured at the wolf "--and thought he was a wild dog."

Nicole lifted her weapon and pointed at the speaker's head. "Get on the ground, both of you. Put your hands behind your head."

"Lislen," the younger of the two said. "We mad a mi But it's only a wolf." When e rifle in his direction, he paled, cursed and dropped to the ground like a stone beside his partner.

"Only a wolf," she said between clenched teeth. "You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you just shot a federally protected animal. A minimum of six months in prison and a hefty fine. And don't give me that c.r.a.p about dead cattle. You're not on the Circle C now. You're on my mountain. You were warned by the sheriff a couple of weeks ago about coming on Dawson property." She was so ang3 she could have spit nails. With no other outlet for her temper, she tucked her rifle under one arm and childishly kicked dirt in their faces, d.a.m.ning them to h.e.l.l and back. Once she'd let off a little steam, she pulled the cellular phone from her back pocket.

"Jeff, this is Nicky. I've got a couple of Bedford's men in the clearing near the warm spring. They've killed a gray wolf." She listened to what the sheriff was telling her and watched Max as he kept a close eye on the poachers.

At hearing the name Bedford, Max nearly jumped out of his skin. For a second he could see all his plans being flushed down the tubes, but quickly recovered as he realized no one in Montana knew he and Doug were connected with Bedford.

When Nicole replaced the phone in her pocket, he relaxed. She looked very pleased with herself. "What's happening?" Then against his better judgment, he asked, "Do you know these men? Who's Bedford?"

"You're busted, boys," she said with such relish that Max's serious expression changed to a smile. "The sheriff will be here in about fifteen minutes." She glanced at the beautiful gray wolf and sadly shook her head. "Those two," she told Max, "work for Carl Bedford. Bedford thinks just because he has money and power he can buy anything. That everything and everyone has a price. He wants the ranch and the mountain. As if twenty thousand acres aren't enough for him."

"I take it you and Charlie don't want to sell?" "You take it right. But Bedford plays dirty when he doesn't get his way. There've been a lot of unexplained accidents and mishaps at the ranch lately. I caught these two cutting fences."

"We were fixing them."

"Shut up," Max ordered. "Go on, Nicky."

"I caught them red-handed and called Jeff Hall."

"Ah, the sheriff. How's he going to be here in fifteen minutes?"

"He's flying in on Ash Bartlet's chopper." She s.h.i.+fted the rifle but refused to put it down, even with Max's weapon trained on the men. "Jeff arrested them for cutting the fence, but Bedford and his lawyers had them out in an hour. Then about three weeks ago, some of our cattle started getting sick. I found tainted feed pellets in the pasture--feed no one at Dawson's had laid out. There were tire marks outside the fence line, and they matched the tires on a track from Bedford's place. Then there's the couple of cardsharps Bedford imported to get in poker games with Dad and some of his gambling cronies."

She wasn't about to tell Max just how much her father had lost. Just thinking about it sent a sick feeling to the pit of her stomach. She knew her father was worried, though trying to hide it and she was too scared to ask. "Bedford is a man who never gives up and I hate him."

The younger of the poachers cleared his throat and said, "Look, Miss Dawson, Mr. Bedford said"

"Shut your trap, Andy," the other poacher snarled, effectively stopping the flow of words.

Max grinned at Nicole. "They seem to think this Bedford fellow can get them out of a federal rap. I have news for you boys. U.S. Fish and Wildlife has taken a strong stand against killing federally protected wildlife. They like to make examples of offenders as a deterrent. If I were a betting man--" he winked at Nicole "--I'd lay my money on each of you looking at a year in prison at least. Of course, if you were ordered to do it and you admit it then maybe a judge would ease up a little. Think about it."

Nicole bit her lip to keep from smiling. He'd planted the seed of freedom, and if they did finger Bedford, maybe the press coverage would be enough to make him back off badgering them. She was about to show Max how much she appreciated his efforts when the sound of a helicopter coming in at treetop level had them all looking to the sky.

When the big white machine with the Bar B brand blazoned on the side like a coat of arms landed, Max whistled in admiration. It spoke volumes of Reed and Ash's family's financial situation. They waited as the blades wound down enough to calm the hurricane they'd whipped up. Then his attention was caught by the bear of a man who squeezed out of the pilot's seat. "Bear" was a good metaphor, he thought. The man even lumbered a little as he came toward them.

Them wasn't a pistol on his hip nor a weapon of any kind. He wore no uniform, just jeans and a denim s.h.i.+rt. The only thing that proclaimed the man was the law was the bright silver star pinned to his s.h.i.+ pocket. Max frowned. This wasn't his idea of a small-town sheriff at all.

As the man drew closer, Max got a better look. There were three long white scars across one side of his face. Only a fool would buck a man wearing such a badge of courage. He had a set to his mouth and a look in the bottomless pit of those dark brown eyes that could make a mountain lion turn tail and run.

Nicole kissed the big man on the cheek and accepted his smothering hug before introducing him to Max.

"You that friend of the guest Charlie's dragging around?" Jeff asked, his gaze steady.

"That's the one," Max said. "Who should I feel sorrier for?"

"I'd say your friend," Jeff replied, walking around the dead wolf, still ignoring the poachers. "Charlie's a wild man, always has been. By the way, your friend can't hold his liquor."

"He's from New York and had three wives. What do you expect?" That earned a laugh from the sheriff.

Jeff stopped beside the men on the ground. "Well, boys, I'd say you stepped in a deep pile of c.r.a.p this time. There'll be no whitewas.h.i.+ng or prettying it up. And your boss's money and fancy lawyers won't be worth all their hot air. Judge Harrison is a dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist and a staunch backer of the gray-wolf reintroduction program."

As he spoke, he pulled out a couple of pairs handcuffs, then poked the men in their sides with the: toe of his boot to make them: anything to say for yourselves?" Neither spoke he shrugged. To add insult to injury, he handed a pair of cuffs and let them "Now, pick up the wolf. Put it in the back of the chopper, then get in and behave yourselves." He watched while they did as he'd ordered, then picked up their rifles and tucked them under one arm. "What are you doing up here, Nicky?" He eyed Max like a brother eyes his sister's first boyfriend.

Nicole watched them size each other up before she said, "I wanted to show Max the warm spring." "Did you now?" Jeff's interest sharpened on Max. "How're Jeri and the children?"

"Jeff's fine, but two of the girls have got chicken pox. They're on the mend, though." He seemed reluctant to leave. "You want me to take Max down with me?"

Max bristled like an irritated porcupine but kept his mouth shut and a smile on his lips. He didn't need an overprotective sheriff nosing around in his and Doug's business, especially if those questions were aimed Bedford's way. The last thing he needed was Carl Bedford telling the sheriff, who was obviously a close friend of the Dawsons', that they were working for him.

Nicole grinned. "No thanks. New York handles himself pretty well." "For a foreigner?" Jeff added, his interest tweaked. "Yes." She winked, and she and Max watched as Jeff lumbered back to the chopper and climbed in. The wind settled and the craft was out of sight before they headed back down the mountain.

The descent was much easier than the climb. Max blindly followed Nicole's lead, paying little attention to where he was going. Fears of his own kept racing through his mind. The sheriff was no fool; he hadn't missed the fact that something was going on between Nicole and him. Friends and do-gooders were the worst possible denominators in an investigation. Of their own volitions and purposes, usually for the good of their friends, they generally stuck their noses in and managed to stir up trouble.

The sheriff had access to information a civilian didn't. It wouldn't take Jeff Hall long to dig up enough to become inquisitive. All Max could think about was getting back to the lodge and putting a call in to Doug. Until this moment he'd been so preoccupied with Nicole that he hadn't given his partner a thought. Now he was worried because Doug hadn't tried to contact him.

Somehow he managed to keep his footing and not fall on his face. When they reached the warm spring, he knew that, even if he suggested they pick up where they left off, it wouldn't be the same. Nicole was as distracted as he was. He was relieved when she dumped the remaining strawberries on the ground for the animals and birds and gathered up the cooler.

"You don't mind if we go back to the lodge, do you? I'd like to tell JD and the others what happened and talk to Dad."

"No, of course not." If he hadn't been concerned about how it would appear, he would have sighed with relief. When they reached the Jeep, he watched as she stored the pistol and rifle. "How badly has this Bedford character been hara.s.sing you and your father?"

Nicole started the Jeep, made a tight U-turn through the stand of trees, then headed back the way they'd come. "Seems forever, but I'd say over a year. last six months have been the worst." She confiding in him, but then relaxed. After all, gone by the next day and she'd never see or hear from him again.

"There have been things I haven't told Dad about." She maneuvered around a boulder as she drove through the crushed gra.s.ses and broken bushes. "What things?" "Sam Wooten--"

"The princ.i.p.al of the school?" He hoped he got to see old Sam just once more.

"Yes. Sam told me that Bedford wanted to make a generous contribution to the school district for some computers and books."

"But there were strings, right?" Max gave a snort of disgust.

"Aren't there always? Yes. He wanted a voting position on the board. Thankfully the Bartlet school district is made up of locals with a lengthy history and a dislike for outsiders coming in, buying up and, making their taxes soar and trying to take over. Lastly there're the Bartlets--Ash and Shannon Reed Bartlet. Believe me, they are forces to be reckoned with."

"Those are Reed and Ash's parents and the owners of the Bar B and that chopper the sheriff used?"

"Jeff's, also--he's Ash's brother-in-law. There're always rumors cimulating about them, stories about their past. One thing is clear from the history of the family--few buck the Bartlets and Jeff Hall."

"Sometimes money has a way of transcending and destroying a close-knit community."

"Oh, the Bartlets have more money in the bank than Miey're certainly as wealthy as Bedford, and they're the biggest landowners in Montana. What's more, they're cash rich."

Max mulled over what she'd told him and filed it away. He realized he and Doug had been lured too quickly into working for Bedford. They should have checked out the local feelings and viewpoints first. He saw the lodge come into sight and was antsy to get to Doug for some answers.

As she pulled to a stop in back of the lodge and they were walking toward the kitchen door, he stopped her. "Tell me. If the Bartlets are so powerful and your families are so close, why don't you just ask them to either give you the teaching position or vote you in?"

She looked as if he'd sprouted horns. "Have it handed to me, you mean? Never! I don't want anything given to me I didn't earn."

Her statement said more about her character than any investigation could. He suddenly felt the weight of what he wanted on his shoulders. How, he wondered as he slid down into the black hole of his own doing, was he going to explain everything and make her understand?

CHAPTER TEN.

JD MET THEM at the kitchen door. His inner alarm for detecting trouble had been going off all morning. One look at Nicky's face and he knew he was right. "What's happened?"

Nicole joined Penny, Reed and Ash at the kitchen table while Max took up a position behind her. She sneaked a potato chip from Reed's plate, then quickly filled them in on their encounter with Bedford's men.

Wide-eyed with excitement, Ash asked, "Was my dad with Uncle Jeff?."