Ladd Springs (Ladd Springs, Book #1) (17 page)

“She
signed one of your investors for her project last night.”

He
yanked the coffee from his lips, the liquid searing his tongue. “
What
?” He
glanced down at his lap, checking for spill spots. Thank God for lids.

“You
heard me. I told you she was hounding us on this one.”

“Hounding
us,
hell
. Who defected?”

“Winters.”

“Winters?”
Nick couldn’t have been more shocked if Malcolm had revealed himself as the
turncoat. “Why would he do such a thing? He’s one of our biggest supporters.”

“Was.”

“Did
you talk to him? What the hell happened?”

“One
guess.” Malcolm’s smirk leaped at him through the receiver.

Visions
of Jillian’s slender body undulated through his mind. “You’re kidding me...”

“Wish
I was, but I’m not. We can survive with the others, so long as you’re close. Tell
me you’re close to a deal, Nick.”

Crap
. He wasn’t
close to anything, let alone a deal. Staring out the windshield, Nick’s eyes
glazed over, time stood still. The mailbox sat crooked by the road, the black
metal box nearly in the path of oncoming traffic. Scruffy shrubs poked in and
around the junk box Clem called home. “I’m working on it.”

“Well,
you better work fast or forget about this one. Jillian’s closing the distance, no
way are we playing second best.”

“Damn
straight we’re not.” Nick jammed his thumb on the end button. Because they
weren’t second best.

But
if Jillian was up to her old tricks, competing would prove tough. She could
wrap a man up in knots and steal his money before the poor guy had the first
clue what hit him. But Winters?

That
surprised him. Nick would have pegged him for an upstanding guy, a guy immune
to such tactics. He and his wife seemed to have a great marriage—if such a
thing existed—but sex sells. Sex cajoles, swindles and manipulates. It felt damn
good while it was happening, too. Something he remembered all too well. Nick
pounded a fist against the steering wheel. Damn it—where was Clem?

Through
the windshield, Nick stared at the trailer. Dilapidated was too kind for the
place. It looked abandoned. Deserted. Was Clem even inside?

Nick
had a mind to drive over and peek through the damn windows to be sure. But Clem
had to be there. Last night, after driving into town to meet with the two
men—something he’d have to take up with Delaney at a later date—Clem stopped
here. Nick went to listen at the door. There were no other voices, other than
those emanating from a television set. This was the man’s home, Nick was sure
of it. So where the hell was he?

Time
was running out.

Delaney
shouldered the Appaloosa’s meaty chest to move him back as she dumped feed into
the bin. The horse gave way with a low nicker, but once the sound of sliding
nuggets had silenced, he pushed the rounded muscles of his chest into her back,
his head bobbing anxiously for her to move.

“I
hear ya, I hear ya,” she said and stepped clear of the heavy animal. “No need
to trample me over it.” Delaney slapped him gently on the rump, followed by a
quick rub, then tossed the bucket into its corner storage. “Don’t make a pig of
yourself, Sunshine.”

Sadie
neighed softly from across the stables and shook her buttercream mane from her
eyes. Black lashes blinked over chocolate brown eyes as Delaney drew near. Sadie
met her with a throaty nicker. “I’m going solo on this trip, Sadie. But maybe
we can ride later with Felicity and the boys.” She patted the mare’s neck,
stroked the solid length of muscle. Right now, she had to head Nick off at the
pass—if that was even possible. For all she knew, Clem had already gone out to
his “mining” site with Nick hot on his heel.

Stop
. Delaney shook
the pessimism from her mind. She stroked her mare’s neck, down her backside,
taking comfort in the smooth expanse of fur. Sadie grunted. Either way, Delaney
had to be sure it was gold. Today, she’d take pictures of the rock itself and scrape
off a sample. From what she’d read online, the bigger and more plentiful the
fissures of a particular kind, the more potential there was for gold. And she
wanted to know exactly what she was dealing with. Getting the gold out would be
her next task, followed by selling it on the open market. Or did one go through
a broker? She had no idea how gold was traded, but she would.

Delaney
gave Sadie a pat on the rear, then kissed the velvety skin of the mare’s nose,
reveling in the sweet scent of her baby. “Time to go.”

She
snatched her backpack from its iron hook on the wall and took off for the trail
behind the stables. It led up the backside of the mountain. By approaching from
the upper ridge, she would ensure that no one saw her come in. She would see
them, but they wouldn’t see her. Once the site was clear, she’d climb down and
get her pictures
and
her sample.

At
the sight of the familiar red vehicle rounding the curve, Nick ducked his head.
Alarm fired through his veins. Damn it, why didn’t he take this into account? As
Felicity’s car approached, Nick snuck a peek over the dashboard. Was Delaney
with her?

If
so, he was a goner. There was no way she’d miss his car, parked off the
shoulder of the country road. Felicity, maybe. But Delaney? Not a chance in
hell. The car sped past and Nick let loose a sigh of relief. No Delaney. He sat
upright and glanced down the road toward the property. Would she be right
behind?

Nick
stabbed the key into the ignition and gunned the engine, mindful of the half
cup of coffee left in his console. He slid the gear into reverse and moved his
vehicle farther from the road. If he backed up too far, he’d run the risk of
missing Clem—provided the man hadn’t already left. But the man didn’t strike
Nick as an early riser. More likely an “I’ll-get-up-when-I-get-up type.”

A
fact which grated on him. Waiting on the lazy wasn’t Nick’s idea of a good
time. Add Jillian’s recent coup and he was feeling downright impatient. Waiting
on others to get on with his business wasn’t his idea of a good time. Unfortunately,
alternative options weren’t racing down the mountainside. He could always walk away
from the project, but that wasn’t gonna happen. He had invested too much time
already and he felt close. Someone or something was going to break his way, he
could feel it.

The
hiccup with Jillian was something he could do without, but he knew how to
handle that sly schemer. Thoughts of her bronze limbs intertwined with his, her
lithe legs draped over his initial surge of desire. But she was old news. He’d
moved on, even though she couldn’t let go. Scorned and competitive to the bone,
Jillian was out to prove she could do it without him and do it better. While he
enjoyed a challenge, her hot-headed jealousy and controlling nature he could do
without. Nick sipped lukewarm coffee, an eye on the rusty trailer.
Good
luck, sweetheart, but mark my words
...

Serenity
Springs will become a reality and will outshine whatever four walls you erect
in its wake. It will be a masterpiece, a showplace like none other
.

Ladd
Springs was secluded, bordered by the USFS, and made all the more intriguing by
trails and streams. With its plethora of springs, Nick would transform the
property into his crown jewel, and he’d do it with Delaney Wilkins by his side.
The image of her galloping bareback streaked through his mind. Delaney was a natural
beauty, an earthy beauty—a nature girl through and through. She reminded him of
Montana, of everything he loved about his home, the people, the land, the
rugged landscape. Her appeal was entirely different than Jillian’s yet even
more intoxicating. She was a woman he wanted to see more of, spend time with,
and during the course of building Serenity Springs, he would.

The
thin aluminum trailer door swung open, folding back completely as it crashed
against the vehicle’s side. Nick downed the remainder of his coffee and set it back
in the drink holder. He started his engine and closed a palm around the
gearshift. Clem wasted no time hopping into his truck and peeling out over the
shallow drive, headed toward Delaney’s. Satisfaction coursed through Nick. Bet
whatever he’s looking for is in those woods.

Following
at a safe distance, Nick traveled the two minutes to Ladd Springs and watched
Clem’s truck veer off the road onto Ladd property. He drove over to the
trailhead where Delaney and he were confronted by the man with the gun. Clem’s
friend with the gun. Nick slowed his car and searched the vicinity for an
inconspicuous place to park. The remainder of his trip would have to be
accomplished on foot, but somehow he had to conceal his car. Up ahead, he
spotted a dirt road, its drive overgrown with trees and brush. He flashed a
look toward Clem’s truck and grunted inwardly. The man had already parked and
jumped out. Considering his rental vehicle, Nick bristled. The scratches the paint
job would suffer would be brutal, but at the moment couldn’t be avoided.

Nick
turned and drove far enough off the road that his car couldn’t be seen from
passersby. While trespassing was a crime punishable by gunshot around these
parts, he was grateful for one bright spot. Several yards in, there was a
thinning of forest. He parked and hoped the neighboring property owner didn’t
have any plans this morning. If he did, Nick didn’t expect his vehicle to be
here in one piece when he returned.

Locking
the doors, Nick took off for the road but jumped back. Old man Ernie’s truck came
barreling toward him, the antique Ford as loud as it was fast.
Someone’s in
a hurry
. Nick checked the Breitling on his wrist, surprised Ernie had plans
this early. The car flew by and Nick wondered what could be so important to a
man with nothing to do?

Wasting
no more thoughts on Ernie, Nick jogged in the direction of the forest. Not yet
familiar with the lay of the land, he couldn’t afford to lose sight of Clem,
though at the moment he’d done exactly that—lost him. But if Nick’s suspicions
were right, Clem was on his way to the spot Nick had found Delaney spying on two
strange men a week ago.

Entering
the forest, Nick kept his foot treads soft as he hurried, maintaining a good
clip and a keeping a keen eye out for signs of Clem. This section of trail was
wide, but according to his recollection, would soon narrow. Careful to avoid
the jut of roots and rock in the dirt path, Nick tuned his senses to high
alert. Mountain smells rose from the ground. The musty scent from the wall of
clay beside him penetrated his nostrils. The passing cool front had infused the
moist air with the scent of trees, a mix of pine and laurel. The temperature
was cold but welcome as exertion warmed his body.

After
he passed the falls, the trail opened up to a shallow ravine of ferns and
rhododendron, littered with decaying logs. Nick slowed his pace, mindful of his
current exposure. If Clem turned to look for him, he’d be wide open. Boring his
gaze through the trees, over bushes, he searched for signs of Clem on the far
side of the ravine. If he remembered correctly, this trail wound around to his
left, ending up on the opposite side of the trees and creek below. Nick dropped
his gaze briefly to the rocky stream and considered hiking straight across. The
forest clutter below appeared passable. But not knowing how thick the lower
ground might prove, it was wiser to stay on terra firma. Removing the gun from
his waistband, Nick charged forth along the trail, running on the balls of his
feet to keep his sound to a minimum.

Chapter Seventeen

Delaney
reached for a limb dangling down from above and hauled herself up to the next
level. The bruise on her shoulder throbbed, a painful reminder that reaching
the ridge would not be easy. Winded, she sank to a seat on a fallen tree, its
trunk split open near the base—lightning most probably the cause. The same fate
that befell most downed trees in the forest. Mother Nature had a temper. Delaney
peered down the path she’d just climbed and felt a sense of accomplishment. That
had been tough!

With
a heavy sigh, she dropped her head forward and breathed as deep as her lungs
would allow. She knew she was wasting precious time. This hike shouldn’t have taken
her but a half-hour, max, but her muscles were screaming from the battering she’d
endured in recent days.

She
heard the muffled sound of her cell phone inside the backpack. It mounted in
volume as she quickly unzipped the compartment and pulled it free. At the
number on the screen, her heart leaped. She punched the answer key. “Hello?”

“Mom,
I forgot my permission slip for the field trip next week. Did you ever sign
it?”

Delaney
raced through her memory. “I think so. You don’t have it?”

“I
don’t. And I really want to go, but they’re due today.”

“Oh,
sweetheart
.” Could Felicity have picked a worse time?

“Can
you look for it and bring it to school?
Please
?”

“Yes,”
came her automatic reply, “though I don’t know where it could be. If I signed
it, I would have given it back to you.”

“Will
you check my room?” Felicity requested sweetly

“All
right.” Inwardly, Delaney groaned. Just when she’d almost made it to the top
and happier trails. “I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank
you!”

Delaney
ended the call and stared down the steep terrain, the jagged pitch of rocks,
dirt and brush. Trips down tended to be faster and messier than trips up.

But
did she have a choice? Felicity couldn’t miss her field trip to the symphony,
not when she’d been looking forward to it all year. It was their last performance
of the season. Delaney racked her brain. Did she sign that form?

At
the moment, nothing was registering. Replacing the phone, she donned her backpack
and stood. Glaring down the nearest branch, she grunted. Time to face the
music.

Nick
held back at the sharp turn, the odd-shaped boulder a dead giveaway that he was
nearing the location in question. Lowering his weapon, he edged his gaze around
the mass of rhododendron sticking out from the mountain above and saw what he
was looking for. Clem had ventured off trail and stood in the middle of the
forest inspecting a rock. He honed in on him.
Inspecting a rock
?

Straightening,
Nick stuffed the gun back in his pants. Odd behavior for a man, even this one. Was
it possible there was something hidden in the rock? Were Clem and his friends
dealing in stolen goods?

From
what Delaney said, the man was trash. Wouldn’t surprise him if he’d squirreled
away his loot in the woods. Is that what Delaney had discovered? Was she onto
him and now he was trying to silence her? Nick clenched his jaw. Son of a
bitch. But why would she protect him?

That
was the part that didn’t make sense. Nick watched Clem for several minutes but
knew he couldn’t stay. Clem, who was making a call on his cell phone, looked
like he was only here to check on things. He could leave at any moment, and if
he did, Nick was toast. If Clem left now, he’d be snagged. Glancing back down
the trail, Nick tried to recall if he’d seen any hiding spots where he could conceal
himself while Clem passed, but nothing leaped to mind.

With
one last look at Clem, he logged the rock into his memory and re-traced his
steps, lengthening his strides as he hunted down for a suitable hiding place.

After
scouring the kitchen, Delaney climbed up into the loft and sifted through the
papers on Felicity’s desk. Thumbing through stacks of old homework, she tossed
them aside and leafed through a second pile. There—she pulled the half-sheet of
paper free. Caught between Felicity’s science folder and a math test from the
week prior was the permission slip. The signed permission slip. Delaney sighed.
Just like she thought.

After
straightening the papers back into some semblance of order, Delaney raced down
the stairway and out the front door. Flicking a gaze to the rocker recently
occupied by Nick, she wondered if he was in the forest.

If
he was, there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. Felicity came
first. Folding the paper in half, she tucked it in the outside pocket of her
backpack, and with a determined step clambered down the porch steps, vowing not
to let this little detour take more than an hour.

Nick’s
bootheel caught the edge of a rock, nearly tripping him. He cursed under his
breath, whipped his gaze behind him, his pulse pumping in high gear. Clem
wasn’t anywhere near. But Nick had no way of knowing if and when Clem left his
rock.
His rock
. Nick was willing to bet it wasn’t the rock he was
interested in. But he needed Clem gone before he could return to investigate.

Nick
stopped suddenly. Above him, a narrow crevice reached deep into the mountain. Peering
up into it, he noticed it led to a ledge—a ledge that would take him out of
sight. No, the space was too small. He looked up the trail. If there was one,
there’d be another.

A
shout echoed through the trees. Nick froze. Was that Clem? Slashing his gaze
sideways and back, he ceased his breathing and listened. When no more sounds
came, he took a hesitant step forward, then paused. He scanned the surrounding
area. Sunlight brightened the green overhead, the brown and gold leaves mounded
at trail’s edge.

Could
be hikers. Ladd land bordered the USFS, but Nick wasn’t familiar with where one
began and the other ended. Moving forward, he remained wary.

Around
the next corner, Nick found his sweet spot. The steep mountainous wall to his
side opened up into a V-shaped gorge. Wide enough to accommodate his body, it
offered enough rocks and branches to assist his climb. With one last glance up
the trail, Nick hoisted himself up and into the mountain.

Wedging
his backside into the hillside, Nick held gun in hand, aimed at the trail. Within
minutes, he heard the pounding footsteps of someone running. Clem dashed by and
Nick tracked his figure until he disappeared from sight. Was it Clem who had
shouted? Was someone else at the rock?

Nick
didn’t know, but he’d find out soon enough. He waited another few minutes, then
eased himself down, reaching from branch to branch to prevent tumbling into a
full-fledged slide. Once he hit the clay trail, he headed straight back to the site.
Detouring off trail, he trekked through brush, over the forest floor matted
with dead leaves, the occasional rock. The gurgle of a creek wound through the
earth on the opposite side.

Arriving
in the vicinity where Clem had stood only moments before, Nick detected no
signs of digging, only ferns, twigs and other foliage flattened from repeated
foot traffic. At first glance, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. He moved
over to the large rocks, the ones Clem had been inspecting. Gray boulders of
irregular shape protruded between trees and rhododendron, their surface a sheen
of moss, dotted with patches of white fungus. Nick touched one of the stones,
finding it cold to the touch. He flattened his palm and leaned forward, exploring
fissures and cavities, up and around. He took a step to the side, ducked his
head and sucked in his breath.
Well I’ll be damned
...

Instinct
propelled him to check for onlookers. Through the black trunks of trees, leaves
of green, over rocks and plants, he was alone. Nick exhaled and quickly rubbed
the dirty streak in the rock, then examined his fingertips, holding them up to
the scant rays of sunlight filtering down through the canopy above. The dust
glittered ever so slightly as he turned his hand to and fro.

Son
of gun—they’d found gold!
Further scrutinizing the color variances, he
noticed gouges in the jagged lines. He fingered them, studied them with a close
eye. Definitely manmade. Someone had been chipping away at this rock, and by
the looks of the damage, had walked off with quite a few chunks. Did Delaney
know?

She
must, he thought instantly. It explained her reticence to share. Explained her confrontation
with the man with the gun. Explained Clem’s high-tailing it in here, concerned his
secret had been discovered, the gold gone. Nick smiled, admiring the natural
wonder, the flecks of shimmery dust, the geological secret hidden away in layers
of stone for millions of years... It was incredible. He didn’t recall this part
of Tennessee being known for gold. He dropped his gaze back to the vein. Yet
here it was.

Nick
looked around the immediate vicinity and searched for a rock, anything he could
use to break off a chunk for himself. Spying one about the size of his fist, he
grabbed it and struck the tip of the vein. Using the rock’s edge like an axe,
he hacked away as large a piece as he could. Turning the bullet-sized piece of
mineral between his fingers, he shoved it into his front pocket. Ditching his
makeshift tool, he brushed his hands together and headed out. If this was
really gold, the stakes for Ladd Springs had just quadrupled.

After
leaving Felicity’s permission slip with the secretary in the front office,
Delaney returned home, more eager than ever to get back to the site. She
replaced her jacket with a long-sleeved jersey and headed up the mountain. The
cool front had petered out, making way for warmer temps. Translated: she’d most
likely be sweating before all was said and done. But the long-sleeves were
necessary. She had no intention of adding to the collection of marks on her
arms.

Trekking
up the back side of the mountain, she made it to the ridge in forty-five
minutes. Huddled between a twin pair of massive trunks, she downed the
remainder of her water and slid the empty bottle into her backpack. Squatting,
she peered down at the forest basin. There wasn’t a soul in sight. Would
someone venture by soon?

Anger
welled. Probably. Those looters probably made daily trips in here to steal the gold.
Well she was going to put an end to it, once and for all. Double-checking her
phone was on vibrate, she took the path to her left and hiked down to the
“golden” boulder.

Slinking
through the trees and brush, Delaney kept a watchful eye and sharp ear out for
any trespassers. If she saw or heard anyone, her plan was to run to the
opposite side of the basin and hide behind the clump of rhododendron. It was
her best chance for eluding detection.

But
she was still alone when her discovery loomed front and center before her. She
retrieved her camera and snapped off a few more pictures. Leaning close, she
zoomed in on the vein of gold and snapped three pictures in rapid succession,
then examined them on her small screen. The flash had washed out the impact of
gold. Pulling back, she took a few more. On inspection, she judged them washed
out but passable.

Tucking
the camera back in her pack, she looked around for something to collect a
sample. In a burst of foresight, she had packed a plastic baggy to carry her
specimen, so she could have it tested to be sure it was gold. Then, she could
show it to Ernie and tell him everything. He’d probably still fight her right
to title, but she was fairly confident he wouldn’t give it to Clem. Not with
the knowledge the man was trying to swindle him, he wouldn’t.

Deciding
on a thick stick as a tool, Delaney scraped at the stone, a smattering a dusty
brown falling free. She grunted. Not good enough. Picking up a nearby rock, she
hacked away at the line in the stone and managed to chip out a small fleck. She
stared at it in disappointment. Hopefully it would be enough to suffice as
evidence.

She
sealed the bag and stowed it away in her backpack. Turning, she headed back for
the trail. At this point, she would take her chances and hike the main trail. If
she heard anything or anyone, she could dodge them by heading straight up—the
way she had done last time. She hoped it wouldn’t be necessary, but it was best
to be prepared.

Trudging
through ground foliage, she kicked a branch with her boot and climbed up the
narrow pass leading up to the main trail. Pushing up through a Y-shaped branch,
she crawled up and onto the path. If Nick had meant what he said, he’d probably
already come and gone. He didn’t strike her as the type to “wait and see.” And if
what he said about Clem was true, she knew that greedy slime ball would have
been here first thing. Her breathing labored, Delaney picked up her pace to a
slow jog.

“Dell!”

At
the familiar voice, she jerked her head up. Her heart thwacked at the sight of
Clem. Standing dead center of the trail, he stared at her. “What’s a matter? Ain’t
you glad to see me?”

Her
heart pummeled against her chest.