Desert Bound (Cambio Springs) (14 page)

“We’ve got preliminary, but not final. Did the victim have any history of drug use that you know of? Current prescriptions?”

“His wife said he was healthy as a horse, and she hasn’t held back anything that we know of.”

“There were a few things that seemed off in his initial screen, so I’m requesting some additional tests.”

“Care to share?”

“Nothing solid right now, but I’ll let you know. May be nothing.”

“Let me know. As far as I know, he wasn’t taking anything.”

“He was a big guy.”

“Yeah.”

Was Larry implying that Marcus had been given something to make him vulnerable? It was something to think about. If he’d been drugged, that changed the whole scenario of someone sneaking up on him or turning his back on someone trusted. Then again, drugs worked very differently on shifter metabolisms.

She started spinning again. “Anything else?”

“For tox? The final report isn’t finished. They’ll have it by the end of the week. But they sent over a preliminary when Chief Gilbert prodded them, so I thought I’d pass along the results.”

“You call him already?”

“E-mail.”

She nodded, though she was alone in the room. “I’ll talk to him later today.”

“Let him know I’m available if he has any questions you can’t field.”

“Appreciate it.”

“You got it.” He hesitated. “Things are getting more interesting up in your neck of the woods. There was that animal attack last year. Now this…”

“Yeah.” She started shuffling papers and making noise, trying to sound busier than she actually was. “Hey Larry, I’ve got to go. Thanks again for the info.”

“Anytime. And Ted?”

“Yeah?”

“Hope things calm down.”

“Me too, Larry. Thanks.”

Chapter Ten

Alex walked Chris Avery through the job site, introducing him to the foreman he didn’t know, going over the updated plans that Marcus had drawn. Chris nodded along, but kept quiet for the most part. They started at the bottom of the hill and walked up, slowly going over each grade and contour of what would make up the Cambio Springs Spa and Resort. 

Walking the land, he could see it begin to form in his mind. The subtle dip of the earth enhanced just enough to provide a sense of isolation, so the resort guests would focus on the sweeping walls of the canyon and the vivid blue sky. The sound of trickling water would fill the air, carried on the dry wind. The water carefully recycled and used to water the palms and succulents that would create an isolated oasis.

It was what the town had always been to him. His oasis and his home. His love for Cambio Springs wasn’t only born of familiarity. As much as he enjoyed the ocean and the morning mist that drifted from the Pacific, he needed the dry wind and sucking heat of the desert. He felt lazy in the water laden air near the ocean. In the Springs, he was strong and lean. His wolf stretched and pawed, content that nothing would confine him. The sky was big enough for his eyes. The landscape vast enough for his energy.

“So,” Chris Avery interrupted his thoughts when they reached the trailer that served as the main office. “You really think people are gonna come all the way out here for vacation?”

“No.” Alex smiled at the man’s surprise. “They’re going to sneak out here for a very exclusive break from life. They’re going to rest. Maybe work. Breathe clean air and soak in the water. This place will never be Vegas.”

The human looked around with poorly concealed disdain. “You can say that again.”

“I’d never want it to be like that circus.” Alex ignored the disdain. It was fine by him if the man finished the job and never stepped foot in the Springs again. In fact, he’d prefer it. “Our clientele are going to want exclusive. Quiet. Privacy. That’s the market we’re aiming for.”

“And you think you can attract that kind of attention?”

“Yep.” Alex sat down and stretched out his legs, grabbing a bottle of water from the small ice chest by his desk and passing it to Chris before he opened another for himself. “I already have.”

The other man didn’t hide his skepticism. “Oh yeah?”

He waited for Alex to explain, but the wolf just grinned. Marcus’s brother-in-law didn’t need to know that Ollie had been quietly passing the word around to the many musicians he knew. Some of the biggest acts in rock and roll had once cut their teeth at The Cave, going out of their way to hang on the wall with the greats who had played before. And if Ollie put the word out that there was a place near The Cave that catered to those looking for quiet and privacy, the word would get around. A few of his associates had even asked if there would be recording facilities on the premises. 

Alex was considering it, but Chris didn’t need to know any of that. He just needed to finish the surveying and land-moving work that Marcus had started, then get the hell out of Alex’s town.

“Well, good luck,” Chris said, when it was obvious that no other answer would be forthcoming. “As long as the bills get paid, Crescent Construction is happy to work.”

“Appreciated. Your guys are good.”

“Yeah, they should be,” Chris said quietly, glancing out the window at the group of guys walking past. “We don’t hire guys who don’t know their stuff. Or who can’t speak the language, if you know what I mean.

Alex bristled at the comment, noting that the guys who’d just passed the window were joking loudly in the mix of English and Spanish so common in the California desert.

“No, I don’t know what you mean, Avery.”

Chris shrugged. “I’m just saying, I see a lot of local guys working around here. That’s good. Good that you’re more interested in quality work that just getting cheap labor.”

“And what does quality work have to do with speaking the ‘right language?’”

The man blinked, as if just realizing his words could cause offense. Then he smiled an “aw shucks” grin and said, “Hey, no big thing, man. I saw your girlfriend the other day. Sweet.”

“I wouldn’t call her that to her face.”

The other man smiled and nodded. “I get it.”

Alex crossed his arms. “You get what, exactly?”

Chris’s friendly demeanor changed and he sat up straighter. “No need to make a big deal about it, McCann.”

“It’s gonna be a big deal if you can’t work with my crew. See, we have all kinds of ‘quality’ workers in the Springs, and they speak all kinds of languages. And not all of them use the boy’s bathroom, either. You gonna have a problem with that?”

“Nah.” His eyes were narrowed. “I hear what you’re saying.”

“Good.”

 “After all, the customer is always right.”

Alex could tell by the squint in Avery’s eyes that he’d just made an enemy. Then again, mosquitos were annoying, too, but they didn’t keep him from getting the job done.

“Glad to hear I’m always right. You need anything else before you get to work?”

“I got your number,” Avery said. “I’ll let you know after I meet with Sid.”

“I’ll let you get to that, then.”

The man took the unspoken invitation and stood to leave. “Later.”

Much later, if Alex had anything to say about it. 

He had no patience for idiotic prejudice. Racism was only one of the things that the founders of the Springs had been trying to flee. White, black, Mexican, Cherokee. They’d all traveled in the same caravan, looking for a place where hard work and character meant more than the color of their skin. Cambio Springs may have had rivalries between animal clans, but racism was seen by pretty much everyone as plain stupid. What the hell did it matter what color your skin was if you had the same fur under the full moon?

As Alex watched Marcus’s brother-in-law walk to his truck where his foreman was waiting, he had to wonder: If Chris Avery was a racist, what else could he be prejudiced about? And how would he react if he knew just how different their little town was?

He’d called Ted to see if she wanted to meet for lunch, but she’d been swamped with a sudden rash of strep throat among the town’s third grade population. Who knew passing suckers around at recess would have that result? Apparently, not the many eight year olds with fevers. Luckily, she hadn’t said no to Alex dropping off a sandwich. He decided to kill two birds with one stone while he was at the diner, since he needed to talk to Jena about the restaurant at the resort.

Jena was poking and prodding at the plans he’d spread out in the booth, a small frown creasing her forehead.

“This is the main building?”

“Yep.” He pointed to the top of the hill. “It’ll have the reception area, the restaurant, a small cafe—”

“You might want to think about a juice bar instead,” Jena interrupted. “I don’t know how many people are going to want caffeine, you know?”

“Juice and tea? Stuff like that?”

“It’s a spa, right? Juice. Tea. Healthy stuff that people can grab when they’re done soaking. Or stuff to take down to the water.”

“Good idea.”

She arched her back and her belly rubbed against the edge of the table. “That’s my job.”

“How you feeling?”

“Good, mostly.” She frowned again, still looking at the plans. “So where’s the restaurant?”

“Here. One side will have a fitness center and the cafe—or juice bar, I guess.” He penciled in notes as he talked. “The other will have the restaurant and bar.”

Jena grinned. “Can’t be too healthy, can we?”

“Wine’s healthy. Mostly.”

He went over the rest of the plans quickly, making notes at her suggestions and coaxing her cooperation about room service when she balked at the many bungalows that would dot the property. When he offered to give her delivery guy his own custom golf cart, she relented.

“Talk to me about Ted,” Jena said when he was rolling up the plans.

“What about Ted?” He shuffled the papers around and tried to dodge the question.

“Oh come on… you’re picking up her lunch. You’re taking her to dinner at The Cave.” Jena raised a suspicious eyebrow. “So what’s what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on.”

“I don’t.” He smiled ruefully. “Wish I did. We’re trying out more than friends. I think. She’s…”

“What?”

“She’s Ted, you know? She’s tough.”

Jena said, “She has to be. And be honest, you’d have lost interest years ago if she wasn’t a challenge.”

“You think that’s why she’d making me jump through hoops? She’s afraid I’ll get bored?”

“Be honest. How many girls threw themselves at you on a regular basis the last ten years or so?”

“I refuse to answer that without counsel.”

Jena cracked a smile. “She always saw that, you know. All the girls. Even when you were together.”

Alex frowned. “You’re saying Ted wondered about me and other women?”

“Not while you were together. We all know you’re loyal as hell. I think…”

“What?”

“Maybe she’s worried you want someone who caters to you. She’s not that woman, Alex. She never will be.”

 He sat back, almost offended, even though he knew Jena meant well. “What am I? Five years old?”

 “What kind of women did you date the last few years?”

“Not as many as she thinks.”

 She rolled her eyes. “What kind?”

 The kind he could call when it was convenient for him. The kind that would drop everything and come running if he needed a date for a business function. The kind who…

“Shit,” he said.

Jena rested her chin in her hand. “You’re a busy guy. But if you think the word about your girlfriends didn’t trickle back to town, you don’t know the gossip network.”

As if he needed another strike against him. He was already battling Ted’s belief that he was going to take off when the resort was done. And their massive communication problem. Family disapproval. And now he realized he may have inadvertently sent the message that he was looking for what could only be referred to as “arm-candy.”

“That’s not… I mean, those girls were never serious. They weren’t…”

“Hey.” Jena’s voice was quieter. “When you think ten years from now, how do you see your life?”

“Me and her.” His voice was rough. “It’s always been me and her.”

“Then you just have to make her see that.”

He frowned and looked away. Out to the window where a dust-devil swirled in the parking lot.

“What is it?” Jena asked.

“I don’t think I know how.”

Jena winced. “Hurt to admit that?”

“Don’t rub it in.”

She smiled. “Normally, I’d tell you to be upfront and honest, but you’ve done that and it hasn’t cracked her. So, in this case, I’m going to advise you to
not
be the Alex she thinks she knows.”

“Oh?” The corner of his mouth turned up in amusement. “And which Alex should I be?”

She leaned closer. “Charm her. You can sell anything to anyone, Alex. Sell her on
you
. Tempt her. Romance her. Reign in your alpha wolf-ness and take a little time with her. She works so much we can barely get her out of her scrubs these days.”

Charm Ted? The  idea had merit. But…

“She’ll be pissed if she thinks I’m playing her.”

“You’re not playing her. You’re charming her,” Jena said with a smile. “And besides, you like it when she’s pissed off.”

He stewed all the way over to Ted’s office, parking next to her Jeep and noticing the lack of cars in the parking lot. Apparently, the strep rush was over. At least until all their brothers and sisters got sick. He walked into an empty waiting room with the door to Ted’s office hanging open. He set the sandwich down on the receptionist’s desk and walked in.

She was sleeping on her couch, sitting up, her head thrown to the side as dust danced in the sunlight streaming through the window. Bonnie Raitt’s “You” was playing softly from the speaker on her desk, and her breathing was slow and easy.

Ted was nocturnal, and it wasn’t just her cat. She’d always been more productive at night, speeding through studying or writing at lightning speed. She caught up on sleep in the afternoons, then she was raring to go when she woke. He couldn’t count the times he’d come home from work when they’d lived together to find her just waking up. Afternoons with Ted were meant to be spent rolling in bed. His blood rushed south at the memory.