Chapter 9 - Madeline
“Barry, I have all those applications to submit! I can’t stay here!”
“Cecilia said she needed help, and based on your report from the town hall meeting it sounds like she’s right. You can finish the applications from there. Consider yourself mobilized to site.”
“You told me this would be temporary, and I’d be back in New York by the end of next week. I don’t even have any clothes with me!”
Barry sighs on the other side of the line. “Get them packed up by a friend and we’ll pay to ship them to you,” he answers. “You need to stay until this mess is sorted out.”
“It’s not a mess, Barry. Cecilia has it under control. Her community garden idea is getting a lot of positive support from the townspeople.”
“We’re going to need more than a community garden, Maddy. You know that,” he answers a little more gently. I take a deep breath and nod.
“Fine. But you owe me. And I’m expecting an extra allowance for working away from home for this. And a raise.”
“I knew I could count on you,” he responds. I can hear the smile in his voice. “Send through those applications when they’re ready and I’ll review them as soon as I can.”
We hang up the phone and I stare at my computer screen, not knowing what to think. I’m sitting in my tiny hotel room, with my laptop wedged on the console table with hardly any room for paperwork. The site offices aren’t ready yet, so this is what I have to work with. I run my hand over my forehead and shake my head from side to side. I need some air.
I grab a jacket and head out for a walk. When I get to the lobby, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that Mrs. McCoy isn’t at the front desk. I slip out the door and pick a direction to walk in, letting my feet take me wherever they’ll go.
The air is brisk, and I look up towards the mountain peaks that are visible all around me. My heartbeat slows and I feel my shoulders relax, as if the mountains around me are soothing me with their presence. I walk down the main road until the buildings become more sparse and the pine trees become more dense. The road’s shoulder is wide enough to walk on, so I just wander until my mind is clear and the only noise I hear is my breath and my own footsteps.
I don’t know how long I’ve been walking when I spot something in the distance. There are two cars parked on the shoulder in front of me. I can see two men looking under the hood of the closest car and I speed up slightly to see what’s going on.
It’s not until I’m too close to turn around that I recognize the man from last night’s meeting - Aiden Clarke. He looks up just as I realize it’s him. His gaze hardens and he squares his shoulders towards me. I slow to a stop and the other man turns towards me. I glance at him, frowning slightly when I see the same dark eyes and strong jaw looking back at me. They must be brothers.
I clear my throat. “Hi,” I say simply.
“Hi,” Aiden responds. He glances at his brother and then back at me.
“You having car troubles?” I ask, nodding to his car. He grunts and I silently curse myself for my stupid question. Obviously he’s having car troubles. “My name is Madeline, by the way. You can call me Maddy.”
“Aiden,” he growls. “This is Dominic.”
Dominic nods at me and I nod back. I shift my weight from foot to foot, trying to think of something to say. Aiden’s dark eyes are still boring into me and I try to ignore the spark igniting between my legs. Aiden nods to the pickup behind his.
“You mind grabbing the wrench from the back of the truck over there?”
“Sure,” I say right away, glad to have an excuse to avoid his gaze. I shuffle towards the other vehicle and find the wrench in the back of the pickup. I bring it back and hand it to Aiden, who takes it with a nod. I watch as he and his brother work side by side without a word, as if they’ve been doing it all their lives.
“Aiden,” I hesitate. “I just wanted to say that I heard what you said yesterday, and I want you to know that -”
“Wanted me to know what?” He interrupts, turning towards me. His eyes are blazing and I take a step back. I don’t know if the beating in my heart is from the look in his eyes or the musky smell that’s making my head spin.
“I…I just want to reassure you that your concerns were heard. We’re doing everything we can to preserve the natural beauty of the area.”
“Do you actually believe that?” he asks. His voice is softer, but his eyes are still burning with the same intensity. “Do you actually believe that the company you work for gives a rat’s ass about these mountains?”
My heart is thumping. I’m trying my hardest to ignore the urge to reach out and touch his chest. I nod my head and swallow.
“Yes,” I answer. “I do believe that.”
Dominic snorts and Aiden shakes his head. “You must be new to this industry then,” he says, turning back towards his truck. “Because all they care about is dollars and cents.”
My heart is thumping and I open my mouth, but I can’t think of anything to say. I desperately want him to look at me again. I want to see that fire in his eyes, and I want to know what he means. I want to see what he sees when he looks at the mountains, and I want to understand why he’s so worried about the construction of the hotel.
I want to know what he thinks, and why he thinks it.
I want to know all these things, but all I can do is nod slowly and turn back towards the town. I take a few steps before turning back towards the two brothers.
“We’re building a community garden,” I say. It feels silly to say it, but I keep talking. “We’re starting next week. Down near the church, on 2nd Street. It would be a great to have you help.”
Aiden stops moving and turns his head. I can see his profile as he chews on my words. All he does is grunt in response before turning back towards his truck’s motor. My heart sinks ever so slightly and I let my feet take me back towards Lang Creek.