Beyond The Limit (13 page)

“So what about electric?” He held her widening emerald eyes and saw a faint blush sweep up into her cheeks. Damn, but she was alluring. And he wanted her. All of her. But only in his dreams.

Taking a deep breath, Cali gripped the glass. “I want to use Wharton Electric to lay the conduit beneath the concrete foundations that will eventually be poured.”

Frowning, Pete reached into a drawer and pulled out the contractor file. His brows dipped as he opened it. “I don't see Wharton on the approved list, Cali.”

She grimaced. Why was it so hard to confront Pete on these things? She'd never had problems doing this before. Maybe her career would plummet, after all, due to Russ and his lies. Unsure, Cali compressed her lips. “No, Wharton isn't on Mr. Elliot's approved list.”

“What's wrong with Hartman Electrical? They're on the list here,” Pete said, tapping his finger on the sheet.

“Have you done any background check on Hartman?” she demanded.

“No, but I'm sure Mr. Elliot and the team in Kabul did. You know contractors who want to work on a project have to submit their data one to two years ahead of time. If their stats and past performance are good, they're put on the list.”

Right.
Cali bit back the retort. Her heart was speeding up noticeably. “Hartman is a small company, Pete. I don't see how your boss could have okayed a firm whose biggest job to date was a hundred thousand dollars.” She shrugged. “The electrical bid for this project is in the millions.”

“So what's your point?” Shifting uncomfortably, Pete realized where this was going. Everyone in the industry had their favorite subcontractors.

“My point is that Wharton is a known entity to me, to Roland Construction. They've worked around the world on multimillion-dollar projects. Hartman has not.”

Frustration thrummed through Pete. He saw the set of Cali's jaw and the tightness in her mouth. A delicious mouth that he badly wanted to explore…. The thought was completely out of place, and he shoved it away. Leaning forward, he picked up the list and held it toward her. “But Hartman has been approved. You know I can't just let a contractor walk in here and ask for someone else. Front office won't allow that.”

“Hartman doesn't have the trucks, the machinery or men to properly handle this project, Pete. I don't know why Elliot put them on the list at all. We need someone who brings in all the equipment and men needed. Someone who doesn't have to scramble to find it in-country.”

“I don't do the background research on these contractors,” Pete told her. “That's not my job. My job is to make sure this site runs with what is given to me.”

“And that's all well and good,” Cali said, trying to keep the tension out of her voice. “But Hartman isn't up to the task. They're a fine contractor for a small job, not something this size. And if you allow them to come in, there will be delays.”

Delay
was not a word Pete liked to hear. In every contractor's legal agreement there were clauses stipulating hefty amounts of money would be paid out for every day the project went over the end date. And Pete knew his reputation would suffer if this site and building went overschedule. Rubbing his mouth, he dropped the paper back on the desk.

“Hartman will come in here,” Cali warned, “and will realize they don't have what's needed. They'll scramble to hire men and supervisors. But from where?” She lifted her hand. “Electrical is a highly complex field. Finding qualified men to lay the conduit and wire is one thing. To get good supervisors who know what to look for, what is right or wrong, is another thing, Pete. That will cause us a lot of time loss.”

Cali wasn't wrong, and he felt trapped. “I'm sure Hartman can step into the job.” His boss back in Kabul expected him to stick with the preapproved list of contractors. Oh, Pete knew there was a lot of politics in this, and that Kerwin Elliot was a consummate player. It was no secret that every political operative had his favorites for projects. And for whatever reason, Elliot had approved Hartman as one of the potential electrical contractors despite any shortcomings.

“Look, Cali, I don't okay these contractors. I get handed the list just like you do,” Pete repeated.

“I understand that,” she said, keeping her voice soft yet firm. She saw the frustration in his eyes. Her heart twinged at having to put him in a stressful position, but she couldn't help it. “If Hartman is allowed to come out here, they will be stretched. They'll start hiring hacks. I'm worried about the quality of workmanship.”

“I'm not forcing you to use Hartman,” Pete stated. “but I am requiring you to use contractors from this list.”

Damn
. Cali wanted to mouth the word but didn't. The air was taut and nearly crackled between them. Outside, she could hear the graders, bulldozers and other machines roaring and chugging. Only the radio calls back and forth between supervisors in the field broke the brittle silence between them.

“And if I use one of the contractors on the approved list and have them subcontract to Wharton? What will Kabul do?”

Pete shrugged. “Kabul doesn't care if you spend your money for extra overhead.” He knew Roland would have to pay additional costs to get it done. This was a game played by all contractors to get their favorite subs to do work on a project for them. And he could see Cali's point and didn't disagree with her. Hartman was too small and would have problems here, but it was out of his hands to control.

“If I do it that way, Roland will spend roughly fifty thousand dollars. And we'd like reimbursement for that amount.”

Ouch.
Pete pushed his fingers through his short-cropped hair in frustration. Even though he sparred with Cali on site problems all the time, he always found her desirable. Times like this just reminded him how impossible any personal relationship would be. Corporate ethics wouldn't allow it. “I can't authorize additional payments to you just because Roland wants a different electrical company. You're going to have to take it out of pocket.”

“That's not fair,” Cali protested. Why, oh why, did she have to take Pete's tough words so personally? She wavered internally, her confidence crumbling.

“An owner can't have the contractor calling the shots on who works on-site, either,” he added. “That's why we use a preapproved contractors list. We have to maintain a budget and set procedures. You know that.”

Nostrils flaring, Cali knew Pete couldn't magically dip into some account back in Kabul for the extra funds. “Okay, then I'm willing to eat the overhead costs if you agree to pay the cost on the concrete mixers that never arrived.” She advanced to his desk, her arms across her chest. “By contract, your company was supposed to have six concrete mixers out here for us to use. Four did not show up, as you know. I went and jury-rigged a bunch of dump trucks with my time, men and money to compensate for that problem, Pete. And because of my ingenuity, we are on schedule.”

“I realize that,” he told her. Her body was radiating tension, but so was his. Seeing Cali's eyes soften a bit at his compliment, he added, “And it's working.”

“Look, Pete, I need wiggle room here. I know some mixers were stolen and some were wrecked on that damn road from Kabul. Is that my problem? No. You guys have your problems, and you have to cover them. When it came to Roland not having the fence up for security because of delays beyond our control, you still made me accountable for getting it out here and getting it up. Which I did,” she added. “Within schedule.”

“Yes, you did get that fence up in record time,” he admitted.

“Mr. Elliot cannot keep asking Roland to absorb extra costs. You and I agree to waive some of these costs, but there comes a point when your company has to stand up to their obligations, Pete.”

She was right. Taking a pencil, Pete fiddled with it distractedly as he pondered the situation. The jury-rigging Cali came up with was not in the contract. Roland had put out a lot of money to get dump trucks refitted to haul concrete. Plus, the dump trucks weren't going to be available for any other use after the pours were done. It was a huge monetary loss for Roland.

“I'll call Elliot this afternoon and I'll make clear the costs Roland has incurred. We'll get this straightened out, Cali.”

Pete knew that Roland could send in a team of lawyers to fight for every overcharge not in the contract. That could drag the project out for years. Lawyer fees alone made it wise to settle these skirmishes in the field and not in court.

Her arms fell to her sides. “Thanks.”

“I'm sorry we have to come to blows like this sometimes.”

“Me, too,” Cali said, backing away from the desk. The apology in his eyes melted her, and she wished she could be immune to him. Just see him as the boss and nothing more. She picked up her hard hat and settled it on her head. “If Kabul wants to follow procedures, so does Roland. I'm going back to the hoppers to make sure things are running smooth.”

The door shut and the trailer grew quiet except for the sounds outside. Pete sighed and sat back in his chair, the pencil still in his hand. The last thing he wanted was an argument like this one. They occurred daily over little or big issues. Still, his heart wasn't into this particular fray. Cali was right; his boss had made a mistake in qualifying such a small electric company. Pete knew such mistakes were part of the construction business.

The hurt lingering in Cali's green eyes tore at him, and made him feel badly over having to lay down the law. She deserved better than what Kabul was dosing out to her company. And somehow, Pete was going to see that it got fixed in this one skirmish.

For whatever reason, he wanted to see her smile. She didn't do it often, but he waited for those rare moments. It was like getting a glimpse of the real woman beneath the hard hat. Even after months of working together, he ached to know her on a more personal level. But to go there meant ignoring his past history, and Pete couldn't do that. When their two-year commitment was over, would he still feel this connection to Cali?

Pete set the pencil back on the desk. He already knew the answer to his silent question.

“Y
OU HAVE A FEMALE FOR
main contractor?” Brad Parker, the project's newest engineer, asked his boss. “That's an interesting plus. It will be the first time I've ever worked with one.”

Pete sat at his desk and tried to keep from snarling at the man. Thirty-two-year-old Parker had just arrived on-site and didn't know Cali's reputation. He wasn't in the military, nor would his employees be. “Ms. Roland knows her business,” Pete responded, a tinge of warning in his voice. He didn't like the fact that another Taliban attack had necessitated this change in personnel.

Three weeks ago, in mid-September, their owner's chief structural engineer had been driving on the outer perimeter road and had hit a roadside bomb. Teddy Hanson had suffered major injuries. Pete was eternally grateful that the Canadian helicopter crew had been coming in that day to pick them up for their bimonthly flight to Kabul. They were able to whisk Teddy to the hospital, and an operation saved his life. But that left a hole in Pete's supervisory force, and Brad Parker, a civilian, was Teddy's replacement.

Chuckling, Brad leaned back in the chair, seeming far too pleased with himself. He had his legs crossed, a clipboard in his lap. “Listen, women at a site like this are rare, anyway. I've banged around Asia and the Middle East a bit, and women are off-limits because of all the religious beliefs.” He grimaced. “Hell for me. I like women. I like their company. That's the only thing I
don't
like about jobs out in the middle of nowhere.”

Pete couldn't disagree with him. He handed Parker the rest of the reports, plus his duties, which were clearly spelled out in the standard operating procedure manual they all used.

“Teddy Hanson won't be coming back, and you've signed a contract for one year. I think by the end of that time you'll know whether you've had your fill of our site or not,” Pete said.

“There's always Kabul. If you let me escape one or two weekends a month, I'll be okay.”

“If you want to drive four hours one way to reach the city, that's fine by me.” The guy looked like a leading man in a movie. The errant thought that Cali might be attracted to this easygoing, smiling structural engineer bothered Pete.

“Well, let's see how it goes.” Parker picked up the clipboard and the manual and rose. “I came out of a nasty divorce a year ago. Women are nice, in their place. But I'm not interested in making a home with one soon.”

The two men shook hands, sealing the start of Parker's tenure. “I know Ms. Roland is out at the building site. They're waiting on you, Parker. We've got a lot of work backed up that needs inspection and your recommendations.”

Putting his dark blue hard hat on his head, Parker grinned. “I'm on it. I'll give you an update at the end of the day.”

“Sounds good. Thanks.” Pete watched the man leave. He was six foot three inches tall, well-built and in vital health. As the door shut, Pete wondered again if Cali would be drawn to this man armed with charm, poise and a flashing smile.

Scowling, he shoved the thought aside and got to work.

 

C
ALI WAS LOOKING AT
the steel rebar that had been put into the bottom of the square foundation. The September sunlight poured warmth down upon the dry plain. For a moment, she lingered there, enjoying the heat and surveying the progress.

“Ms. Roland?” The deep male voice came from behind her.

“Yes?” She looked up into the glimmering blue eyes of a stranger. An intensely good-looking stranger. Behind his square jaw and handsome face she sensed a keen intelligence.

“I'm Brad Parker, the new structural engineer.” He extended his hand. “I'm Teddy Hanson's replacement.”

Cali reached out and gripped the man's broad and callused hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Parker.”

“Call me Brad.”

Sometimes, when Cali shook hands, men tried to crunch her bones. Over the years, she'd learned this was a subtle test to see if she was really a strong woman. Parker seemed to monitor the amount of pressure he exerted, however. He was gentle with her.

She grew uncomfortable under his intense gaze. Heat sprang up in her face as he gave her a long, appreciative look. Releasing his hand, she stepped back, unnerved.

“I think ‘Mr. Parker' will do,” she answered coolly. A warning went off deep inside her. A sense of fright. She didn't have time to analyze why. For now, she would focus on the rebar inspection. Turning, she gestured toward the foundation. “We're glad you're here. You've got a lot of inspecting to do in order to catch up. Right now, we're running a week behind schedule because we lost Teddy to that roadside bomb.”

“Well, don't fret, Ms. Roland. I'm here and I'll get us back on schedule. Guaranteed.” Parker gave her a confident smile.

His smile reminded Cali instantly of Russ—the man who had taken her down at the other project. He, too, had possessed a killer smile to go with his drop-dead-gorgeous looks. It was obvious that Brad Parker thought a lot of himself, and she couldn't ignore the sense that he was coming on to her. Maybe she was making this all up. Running scared because of what Russ had done to trick her. Without thinking, Cali dropped her gaze to Parker's left hand. No wedding ring. But that wasn't unusual. Construction hard hats didn't usually wear jewelry. Asking about his marital status would give the wrong impression.

“Well, let's take all your unbridled energy and put it to work,” Cali said, stepping aside as he moved closer to her. But instead of allowing a safe distance between them, Parker got in her space. Cali automatically stepped away again and shot him a dark look of warning.

The man smiled and glanced down at the construction schedule. “Well, have no fear, Parker's here, Ms. Roland. We'll get this baby back on schedule in a snap.”

Cringing inwardly at his bravado, Cali said, “Unless you're prepared to work 24–7 for a week, that won't happen, Mr. Parker.”

“Let me impress you.”

Cali's stomach knotted. “You don't need to work at impressing me, Mr. Parker. You need to impress your boss, Major Trayhern.”

“Oh, him. He's a real serious type, isn't he?” Parker walked down one side of the dug foundation and looked closely at the rebar.

“Major Trayhern does a damn good job on this site, Mr. Parker,” Cali snapped. “If I were you, I'd reserve any early opinion of him and let him impress you with his knowledge and experience.”

Lifting his hand, Parker laughed. “Yeah, maybe you're right. Well, time to get down to business. I've got a lot of rebar to inspect, it looks like.”

The wind gusted and a cloud of dust swept across the area. Cali took off her damp pink bandanna and wiped her face. She was sweating in the autumn sunlight. So was everyone else. The Afghan workers, who were learning the correct way to place rebar, chattered in their own language. Bulldozers rumbled in the distance, and the familiar sound soothed Cali's frayed nerves a bit. She wanted to run from this guy, but couldn't. She had to make sure his inspections were thorough and met her criteria as well as Pete's.

Cali followed, keeping a safe distance from this engineer who obviously thought he was going to flirt openly with her. What a contrast to the sense of safety she felt with Pete Trayhern. Pete wasn't flashy like this character. He was responsible and stable in comparison, something Cali had always wanted in a man.

As they moved to the second side of the foundation, Cali watched Parker lean down and test the wire ties that held the rust-colored rebar together. He had a workingman's hands. As he ran through his checklist, he seemed to forget she was trailing him like a shadow, and that sent a wave of relief through her.

She tried to forget how similar Parker was to Russ. And because these circles tended to be small, she wondered if he knew Russ. That thought sent a shaft of terror through her. Pete didn't seem to know of her past, and she was anxious to keep it that way. He respected her, and Cali never wanted to lose that precious bond with him.

“Hey,” Parker called, twisting to look over his shoulder, “how about we get a soda together later at your office trailer, and celebrate my coming to the site?”

She gave him a flat look. “The only time I need to see you in my office, Mr. Parker, is if there is a problem with your inspection of my people's rebar placement.” She saw him grin slightly, shrug and turn back to the work at hand. This guy didn't know when to quit.

Cali had never thought of herself as a woman to be chased at a construction site. Maybe that was due to her assumption that she was “one of the boys” in a male-dominated profession. She wanted the men to treat her as an equal. And then Russ had come along and laid his elaborate trap for her. She'd fallen for it blindly—and stupidly. And now, Parker was trying to chase her. Well, to hell with that. She was off-limits and he'd better get the message. How she wished for Pete's quiet company instead.

 

N
EAR QUITTING TIME
, Pete happened to be walking out among the newly dug foundations when he saw Cali with Parker. The shadows were deep as the Kush Mountains grew purple in the evening light. It would get cold and blustery now that the daytime heat was gone.

He had wondered how Parker was doing. Was he as good as Kerwin Elliot had said? The only way to tell was to see him at work. Pete was a hands-on manager, not one to stay in his office all day. He pined for the outdoors—the sun, the rain, the elements. It was where he felt at home.

His kept his eye on Parker, who was down in a foundation checking newly laid rebar. There seemed to be a problem, and Cali had crouched down to look at the section. What Pete saw next shocked him. He was a good two hundred feet away, walking between foundations, when it happened. Cali always wore gloves to protect her hands in this environment. Her current pair had dropped to the ground between her and the new structural engineer. As she reached to retrieve them, Pete saw Parker grab Cali's hand.

It was a deliberate act. Pete halted, his mouth going grim. For an instant, he wanted to run over and yell at Parker to get his damn hands off her. Cali could have retrieved her gloves on her own. Parker hadn't reached for them but he'd reached for her hand, instead.

Rage funneled through Pete. She couldn't see him, with the angle he was approaching. And he couldn't see her expression. But her body language was clear. She yanked her hand out of Parker's, stood up and uttered sharp, curt words. Judging from the surprised look on Parker's face and the censure in her voice, Pete figured she was angry. And well she should be. Who did Parker think he was?

As Pete pushed forward, his steps deliberate, puffs of dust rising where his work boots landed, he wanted to curl his fist and slam it into the engineer's smug face.

“Problems, Ms. Roland?” Pete asked as he neared them. When Cali snapped her head toward him, anger and frustration were evident in her clear green eyes. Her cheeks were a heated red and her mouth was pursed.

Cali fumbled with her leather gloves. She was a case of nerves from Parker's unexpected touch. “Major, er, no.” She found her professional voice as she saw the banked anger in her boss's eyes, aimed at Parker. The structural engineer was still crouched, clipboard resting on his thigh.

Cali was so glad to see Pete show up. She didn't need rescuing, but his presence was an immediate comfort. What a difference in personality between these two men. She longed to be near Pete, not egotistical Parker, who clearly thought he was God's gift to women. Even now, Parker seemed unconcerned about his behavior, and that made her even angrier. But this was not the place or time to tackle it. They were surrounded by Afghans who could see everything, and Cali knew, from a managerial standpoint, that one didn't drag dirty laundry out in front of employees. She gave Parker a warning look that spoke volumes, then returned her attention to Pete.

“We're inspecting the rebar,” Cali told him, her tone now calm and collected.

Pete looked intently into her upturned face. More than anything, he wanted to ask if she was all right. She had gone from angry to all-business. Maybe later they could talk in private.

“What have you found so far? Any problems?” Pete asked his new hire.

“None, Major Trayhern,” Parker called. “From everything I can see so far, Ms. Roland's men are doing a fine job. Of course, we're only on the second foundation, with eight others to go, but it's looking consistently good.”

Pete wondered if the engineer realized his faux pas. Pete could tell Cali was shaken, even though she tried to hide it. Her hands trembled slightly as she jerked her gloves back on. This made Pete all the more protective of her. “I want to see you in my office before quitting time today, Parker.” Looking at his watch, Pete added, “That means within the next thirty minutes.”

“I hear you loud and clear, Major. I was going to come in and see you shortly, anyway.”

Pete nodded and turned to Cali, who avoided his gaze. The panic and fear seemed so out of character for her. “You okay?” he asked, his voice quiet and probing.

“Y-yes, I'm fine, Pete.”