Radclyffe - Wild Shores

Gem gave a little jump when Emily set a steaming cup of hot cocoa in front of her. “Thanks,” she said again.

Emily sat beside her. “When do you think the FEMA team will get here?”

“Late morning, I hope. They’re quick to mobilize, and I’m sure they want to get here before the storm hits.”

“They’ll likely set up headquarters on the mainland, don’t you think?”

“Probably. Especially if the governor calls for evacuation.”

“Just as well. Too many cooks—” Emily shook her head. “We certainly seem to have a lot of those all of a sudden.”

“I know, but it’s always this way with multijurisdictional situations. Fish and Wildlife, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and, of course, all the privates get involved.”

“I caught a newscast just now,” Emily said, gesturing to the small TV on the counter whose sound was currently muted. “Just a fifteen-second sound bite on the local news about Rig 86 and a small leak, already contained and of no major consequence.”

Gem tasted the chocolate and let the heat and sweetness soothe the rough anger in her throat. “That’s GOP’s first volley to control the situation. I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more if things escalate.”

“Hopefully they’re not going to.” Emily glanced toward the door as if making sure they were alone. “Austin sounded credible. I don’t think we’ve got a major spill yet.”

Gem heard the tentativeness in her tone. “Austin didn’t mention anything about this to me before. I don’t know whether to believe her or not.”

“What do your instincts say?” Emily asked gently.

“I’m not sure I can separate my instincts from my wishes, and I’m not sure I trust either one at this point.”

“I think your instincts are just fine,” Emily said. “I don’t see you sleeping with her if you hadn’t sensed something exceptional about her.”

Gem laughed entirely without humor. “Oh, there’s plenty exceptional about her. She’s talented and gorgeous and has a way of making a woman feel special. God, I sound ridiculous.”

“No, you don’t. Define special—besides, you know, the obvious parts where you feel like a sexual goddess.”

Gem grinned, a flicker of true humor slicing through the gloom that had descended over her. “I wouldn’t use quite that term, but she certainly woke up something in me. It wasn’t just the sex, although that was damn nice. I felt understood, as if when I told her things, I didn’t have to explain myself. As if she cared.”

“I can’t believe you would have felt that way if it wasn’t true.”

The ice settled around Gem’s heart again. “Well, there certainly were some major gaps in our connection. While I was blithely recounting God knows how many personal details, she was holding back a huge part of hers.”

“I’m not going to defend her. I don’t know her at all, and you’re one of my best friends,” Emily said staunchly, “but it’s a big tangle, and the only thing I know for sure is that you are a good judge of your own feelings. So I’d trust them.”

“I’ll try.” Gem sighed and finished the last of her chocolate. She carried the cup to the sink, carefully rinsed it, and set it upside down on the drain board. She squared her shoulders. “I guess it’s time to put that to the test.”

Chapter Twenty-one

Thirty minutes had never felt so long. Austin wanted to go after Gem to continue to plead her case, to say something, anything, that would drive the distance from Gem’s eyes and bring some warmth back into her smile. But she didn’t have enough time, and this wasn’t the time or the place. Her words weren’t welcome. She’d run out of time, as she’d known she would, and if she’d listened to the voice of caution she never would have let the situation go so far. She hadn’t been fair to Gem or herself, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to regret a single moment. She hadn’t wanted to be cautious, and she hadn’t wanted to listen to reason. She hadn’t wanted to push aside what her heart demanded yet again. She’d been ruled by the dictates and desires of others most of her life, until she convinced herself what she was doing was what she wanted. Oh, she’d charted her own course—she couldn’t blame anyone else if she wasn’t completely satisfied with her life. She’d broken away from the family tradition of risk-taking and adventure and high-profile excitement, but she’d somehow ended up on the edge of danger all the same. And blood had won out. When she’d stood on the precipice facing Gem across a chasm that logic and reason dictated she avoid, she jumped, not caring that she might fall. The risk had been worth it, and she hadn’t fallen, at least not right away.

“You need me to stay for this?” Claudia asked.

Austin jerked at the sound of Claudia’s voice. She’d actually forgotten she wasn’t alone in the room Gem used as an office. The windowless ten- by ten-foot space was sparsely furnished with a serviceable plain wooden desk, a trio of metal filing cabinets, and a round table with four chairs that appeared to serve as a work space and conference area. She and Claudia had settled there to wait for Gem, and instead of reviewing plans for the containment procedures, she’d forgotten everything except the look of hurt and disdain in Gem’s eyes.

Time to get a grip. She couldn’t afford to forget anything now. A slip of attention or lapse in concentration could mean disaster not just for her, but for those who depended on her. She shook her head. “You’re welcome to stay, but if you’re really intent on going back to the rig, you should probably grab a lift before the weather gets any worse.”

“What about you?”

“I want to stay here until I get a fix on the most-at-risk areas, and I want to be sure the ground team has everything they need.”

“Your call.” Claudia paused. “I thought you might need reinforcements.”

“You noticed.” Austin winced. “I don’t expect open warfare, maybe just a cold war for a little while.”

Claudia glanced over her shoulder, then pulled her chair closer. “It’s absolutely none of my business, but I couldn’t help noticing that one of the Sisters Martin bore a striking resemblance to the woman you were sketching. They’re quite a fascinating pair.”

“They are. I met Gem on the drive in. We spent most of a day in a car together, and we…” Austin shook her head. “It was a hell of a trip.”

“I take it she didn’t know about the rig or your job out there.”

“I didn’t know what I was going to be facing, and even if I had, I wouldn’t have discussed it with anyone. You know the situation.”

“Oh, indeed I do. I signed the same forms you did.” She pushed back a whisper of hair that had fallen free from the clasp, an unconsciously graceful movement that elicited absolutely no reaction from Austin other than a distant appreciation.

“We’ll sort things out,” Austin said with more confidence than she felt. Somehow she had to sort things out, or she’d be walking around with a hole in her middle forever.

“I’m always good for backup.” Claudia gave her a sympathetic smile and squeezed her hand. “Call me anytime.”

Call me anytime.

Gem halted in the doorway to her office, a hot rush of annoyance and something that couldn’t possibly be jealousy streaking through her. An instant ago she’d been ready to face Austin in a cool, professional manner, determined not to let the past hinder their working relationship. Now that hard-earned calm boiled away. “Am I early for our meeting?”

Austin’s head jerked up. “No, I’m ready when you are.”

“I can see that.”

Claudia slowly drew her hand from Austin’s and turned toward Gem. She smiled, a neutral professional smile. “I was about to head back to the rig. I’m sure we’ll meet again before this is over.”