Radclyffe - Homestead

“Well, you couldn’t have been responsible for any of this.”

“What did you learn?” Clay asked.

“According to Leslie, who’s representing me legally, by the way, Ray signed the rights to the land away a long time ago. For quite a lot of money.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Even if you had, that wouldn’t have been your fault. You were taken advantage of just as much as me.”

Clay let out a breath. “Thank you.”

“I want to pay it back.”

Clay’s brows came down. “Pay what back?”

“Whatever money Ray took for the drilling rights. I want to pay it back and I want your father to tear up the contract—or whatever the legal term for it is.”

“No.”

Tess straightened, the anger she thought she’d conquered surging through her. “Excuse me?”

“No,” Clay said, her jaw set. “Whatever Ray did, it’s not your responsibility to undo. My father paid Ray, and the money is gone now. Ray either spent it or put it into the farm. You’re not going into debt to pay back what my father willingly paid—he could have fought Ray. We could have fought Ray.”

“If I pay it back,” Tess said, hating the idea of owing anything to Clay’s father even by association, “can you convince your father to return the rights?”

“That’s not going to be necessary.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Townsend and I came to terms, and he signed over the rights to his land. I’m not going to drill on your farm, Tess.”

“Pete?” Tess couldn’t wrap her mind around it. “But I thought he was so opposed.”

Clay shrugged. “Money is a great motivator. He changed his mind when the price was right. I’m certain that was his plan all along.”

“Pete…God, Pete always has an angle.” Tess shook her head. “He’s probably going to keep hounding me to sell him the farm now, especially since he knows what’s under the ground.”

“Well, you just keep saying no.”

“NorthAm is going to drill in this county, isn’t it?” Tess said.

“I told you I wouldn’t lie,” Clay said, hoping she wasn’t driving another wedge between them. “We will. The fuel is down there, the state wants it, the country needs it, and the locals will benefit more than they’ll risk. It’s inevitable, Tess.”

Tess looked out the window. The ridge behind the house was obscured by rain, but she could still see the machines in her mind—foreign creatures she didn’t trust and didn’t want. “But you don’t need to be here?”

“We can get what we want elsewhere.”

“At what cost?” Tess narrowed her eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“In the greater scheme of things, not a whole lot greater expense—a few more thousand feet of pipe, a few more drill heads to tap the deepest reservoirs—nothing we haven’t done elsewhere.” Clay touched Tess’s hand. “We’ll still be close when we drill, though, Tess. I’ll do everything in my power, I promise you, to see that we have clean wells. I’ll make the same promise out loud to everyone in the county in another week.”

“I believe you. But what is your father going to say? What about the attorneys he’s sending up here?”

“I’ll talk to him. In the meantime, you can go ahead and tell Leslie to pull out her big guns if she needs to. But I don’t think you’re going to have a fight.”

“And what about you? How do you feel about all this?”

“I’m not my father,” Clay said quietly, “and I’m not NorthAm. And I meant what I said earlier—I would never do anything to hurt you. I’d quit first.”

“There’s something I need to say to you,” Tess said quietly, grasping both Clay’s hands and holding them in her lap. “I’ve blamed you unfairly all these years, and I’m sorry for that.” Clay started to protest and Tess stopped her words with a brief firm kiss. “Let me finish. I loved you so much, and I didn’t realize I was doing it, but I made you responsible for making all my dreams come true. We were young, I know, but what we had was real. Real enough that it’s lasted all this time.”

Clay’s heart leapt and she couldn’t catch her breath. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m done looking back. I’m saying that I’m really glad to meet you, Clay Sutter.”

Clay cradled Tess’s face, kissed her softly, and drew back. “Very glad to meet you too, Tess Rogers.”

Tess slid over into Clay’s lap and put her arms around her neck. She kissed Clay again. “I love the way you taste. You have the sweetest kisses.”

Clay’s arms came around Tess’s waist and she nuzzled her throat. “I love everything about you.”

Thunder boomed and Clay laughed. “The earth just moved.”

“Clay?” Tess jerked away. “Wait.”

“Okay,” Clay murmured against her throat. “Whatever you want, Tess. This is enough if it’s—”

“No.” Tess jumped up. “Look!”

Clay looked out the window. An orange glow mushroomed over the rise behind the farm. Clay bolted to her feet. “Jesus. That was an explosion. That’s our camp.” She raced for the door, Tess behind her. Clay jammed her feet into her boots and yanked the door open. “I’ll be back. I—”

“I’m coming,” Tess said.

“No, you’re not.”

Tess pushed Clay out the door and slammed it closed. “Don’t argue. Let’s go.”

“I’ll drive,” Tess shouted, pointing to her pickup truck parked next to the barn. “I’m used to these roads in this kind of weather.”

“All right.” Clay raced across the drive, barely keeping her footing on the muddy ground. By the time they reached the truck, her pants were soaked through from the thighs down, and water streamed over her face and down her neck. She jumped into the passenger seat, yanked the seat belt across her chest, and punched in 911. After three rings she lost the signal.

“Damn it.” Clay texted Ella. What’s happening?

Beside her, Tess buckled up and threw the truck into gear.

“Hold on,” Tess cried. “The roads will be a mess.”

“I’m good. Go. Go!”

Tess pointed the truck toward the road and hit the gas, punching through rain so heavy they could have been driving on the bottom of the lake. The headlights reflected back at them as if from a murky mirror. Clay kept trying to call with no luck.

“Ella’s not answering,” Clay yelled over the pounding rain. “Can’t get emergency services, either.”

“Couldn’t have happened at a worse—oh!”

The truck swerved violently, and Clay’s head bounced off the side window. Her stomach lurched as the truck fishtailed. She grabbed the handhold over her head as Tess fought to keep the big truck on the road.

“Tree down,” Tess shouted. The truck steadied off and Tess laughed unevenly. “Sorry. Should have expected that. Are you all right?”

“I’m good.” Clay fingered a tender spot above her ear. “You?”

“Fine. We’re almost there.” Tess gripped the wheel, her face set in concentration, her eyes glued to the road ahead. “What do you think it is?”

“That was gas—had to be one of the propane tanks.” Clay had seen plenty of well fires on the job, but they weren’t drilling now. Every one of the tanks at the camp was in proximity to the barracks or the operations trailers, where she had people. Ella and Kelly had probably been in her trailer, and she couldn’t raise either of them. She pushed the sick feeling away as a black cloud of anger filled up her chest. “And my guess is it’s not an accident.”

Tess caught her breath. “More sabotage? But this is crazy—who would go this far?”

“I don’t know,” Clay said, “but I will before I’m done. How much longer?”

“A minute or two.”

Clay gripped Tess’s thigh, squeezed lightly. “When we get there, I want you to stay in the truck. If one of the tanks exploded, the others might be rigged to go too. I don’t want you anywhere near—”

“Clay,” Tess said mildly, “I haven’t sat back and let anyone handle my problems in a long time. I’m not going to start now.”

“Damn it, Tess,” Clay growled, “I’m not trying to control your life, just trying to keep you from getting hurt. I know what these things can do. We’ve got a couple dozen wood-frame buildings sitting right next to a lot of propane tanks. It’s a situation designed for disaster once a fire gets going.”

“And what do you plan on doing by yourself?”

“We plan for these contingencies—but first I have to make sure all my people are safe. Then I can contain the fire and shut down the gas lines.” She pointed to the rain-streaked windshield. “We’re right up there. The turn—”

“I’ve got it.” Tess swung onto the dirt access road, and a wall of trees and water instantly enclosed them. She leaned forward, squinting through the brief clear area as the wipers labored with the volume of rain. “I know you want to save your equipment and your buildings, but they’re not worth you getting hurt.”

“As soon as I know all my people are safe, I’ll assess the fire situation—I don’t plan on being a hero.”

Tess glanced at her. “Good, because I just got you back. I don’t plan on losing you again.”

Clay covered Tess’s hand on the wheel. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything quite as good as that.”

“Just remember it, then.” Tess slowed, the rear wheels hydroplaning as she braked. The truck skidded and slid fifteen yards toward the woods before she got it under control. They passed the open access gate, and up ahead, flames leapt into the sky. “How far—”

“This is close enough—we don’t want you getting stuck,” Clay said. “Turn the truck around so it’s pointed toward the road. If we have injured, you might need to take them to the hospital.”

“All right,” Tess said. “I’ll get the truck ready to evacuate any injured, but I’m not taking them. I’m not going anywhere without you.”