Before the Storm, page 5
And Jae hadn’t been wrong on that point.
“If the Navy initiated a thirty-day comment period, I think I’d have heard of it.”
Jeb shook his head as if in disgust at her ignorance. Or naïveté. “I don’t know what to say, then, because they did. They intend to use these woods and the lodge for some kind of training ground. This is probably just step one of their plan to seize inholding properties like mine and George’s.”
She rolled her eyes at the familiar tirade. It was no secret that the park wanted the inholding properties, but they weren’t going to use the military—or any other government agency—to seize privately owned land. This was a tune Jeb had been singing for years.
George humored him, but then, as a Native American, he had every reason to distrust the federal government that had done all it could to violate, ignore, deny, or revoke treaty rights agreed to a hundred and sixty years ago.
Jeb was a white man who’d lucked into an inheritance that gave him lakefront property on a beautiful, pristine mountain lake in a temperate rainforest, and he acted as though everything the park did was a threat to his property, when it was the park that maintained the very road that made access to his cabin possible.
She returned to the subject at hand. “I’ll install cameras this week. There isn’t time or money to get solar-powered cameras set up. But I’ve got budget for the cameras themselves. If I have to, I’ll run a cable from the blacksmith shop. I’ll bury it myself.”
It would be days of miserable labor, likely in the rain, but she’d do it. Anything to protect the site.
George nodded. “Fine. And I will winter here again, instead of returning to the reservation.”
Her heart squeezed at the thought of the elder living in his rustic cabin during the coldest, darkest months of the year. “You can’t, George. You promised your family.” He’d spent the last three winters in the woods alone. His family wanted him home this year.
His eyes flattened. “Someone must guard the site. If I’m here and the cameras catch someone looting, you can call me.”
She knew she’d overstepped in telling him he couldn’t stay in his cabin, but what he proposed terrified her. “And send you alone to scare off looters?” Was he insane? Looters could be armed, and George was seventy-two years old. Fit and firm for his age, but still, seventy-two.
He fixed her with a glare. “Looters don’t scare me.”
His words made her dizzy with worry. He truly wasn’t afraid. And, in the back of her mind, she was still freaking out over what Jeb had suggested. Could Xavier be in the Navy? Her brain ran in two dozen directions at once, and physically, she was exhausted. A weird, bone-deep tired that made no sense.
She reminded herself that her body always did a little freak-out after the return to standard time in early November. It was now dark by four thirty, and she wanted to do nothing but sleep. Add to that the niggle of a broken heart she’d stupidly opened herself up to, and she wanted to sit on her couch and eat ice cream and watch movies that made her reflect on the futility of human existence.
She was thirty-eight and alone. Her job was her life. She’d given up everything—even a man she’d thought she loved—for it. And now she was staring at looting that proved she was shitty at the one thing that mattered most.
She stared at the pit and tried to control her emotions. “I’ll have the cameras installed by Thanksgiving.”
Chapter Four
Port Angeles, Washington
December
The stick had a blue plus sign. Audrey stared at the pregnancy test. This isn’t possible. We used condoms. They were sealed in the box. We were careful.
And yet, she knew it was true, possible, and real. In the five weeks since she’d been with Xavier, her energy had flailed as if aliens—or a parasite within—had zapped her strength. The slightest upset had turned her stomach, but relief came when she ate—which was the opposite of how it normally went for her.
Six hours ago, at three a.m., she’d woken up with a jolt, her subconscious mind connecting the dots in a way her conscious one refused to do. She was pregnant. She’d known it then, and the proof was before her now, bright blue on the white stick she’d peed on.
She touched her belly, and tears sprang to her eyes.
Oh my god. I’m going to have a baby.
Oh my god. I’m going to have Xavier’s baby.
Even as a strange, shocking joy surged, she wondered how it was possible.
She dropped the test into the bathroom sink and ran out to her car, where she kept her always-packed overnight dig kit. This bag contained more than trowels and measuring tapes; it was her go bag, always ready should she get caught in a storm or if a single day of fieldwork ended up requiring more time than expected.
The canvas bag predated grad school. She’d used it in her midtwenties—during all the years she’d lived and worked as a dig bum. The containers inside the bag had been upgraded over the years. An old Rubbermaid food bin held brushes and dental tools for fine work. A ditty bag held the plumb bob, line level, carpenter’s rule, and mechanical pencil. And a nylon pouch held dry shampoo, a toothbrush—for her teeth, not to be confused with the one in the dig tool kit—toothpaste, and other essentials.
She’d prided herself on being always ready.
And like the prepared person she was, she’d always kept condoms in her kit, because things happened in the field. But she refreshed her toothbrush and deodorant along with all the items in the kit over the years. And this included the condoms. She remembered buying them last year and putting them in the kit.
At least, she remembered buying them.
She rummaged in the bag and found the toiletries. Yes. There was the toothbrush she’d used in Xavier’s hotel room. And there was the depleted box of condoms.
Damn, only five left. The guy deserved a medal. She pulled out a condom and checked the expiration date.
And there it was. The prophylactic had expired—wow—two years ago. She must’ve bought this box before she and her ex started dating.
She carried the bag into her house and made a beeline for her bedroom. She remembered buying condoms after the breakup. She’d stopped taking the pill and figured she needed something on hand, just in case. She’d put the condoms in the dig kit, like a responsible adult.
Except she hadn’t, obviously.
She dug through her drawers, searching. She finally found the crisp, unopened box of condoms in her nightstand. She sank to the floor, her back to her bed as she held two boxes of condoms, one in each hand.
Well. This answered any questions she might’ve had about those expiration dates. They mattered.
She dropped the newer box of condoms and rubbed her belly.
I’m pregnant.
Tears pooled and fell, and suddenly, she was laughing and crying at the same time. But it was joy that had triggered both.
I’m having a baby. Baby. My baby.
She took a deep breath. She hadn’t planned this. Hadn’t even known she wanted it. But fierce joy rose up within her. She wanted it—him, her, they, however they would identify—without hesitation.
She would have this child and love them with all her heart. And she owed it to her offspring to give their father the choice of whether or not he wanted to play an active role in child-rearing. She wouldn’t force Xavier to be a dad, but she wouldn’t shut him out either.
But what if he fought her for custody?
It was a chilling thought and a hazard of having sex with a man she didn’t know.
They’d used condoms to prevent this. Odds were, he wouldn’t want the baby or responsibility.
She spent an hour going over all the ramifications, but in the end, it came down to one simple truth: she had to tell Xavier she was having his child. She might not know how to reach him, but Jae did. Anything less than telling him right away would be wrong.
She paced her house, then went for a long walk to build her courage. Should she ask for Xavier’s number? What if Xavier specifically told Jae not to pass on his number? How would she feel if Jae shared that bit with her? He’d warned her Xavier didn’t do relationships, and Xavier had made it clear there was no future in his goodbye. It was an awkward situation to put a friend in.
She walked aimlessly for two hours, and without entirely realizing how she’d got there, she found herself on the top level of the waterfront tower in Port Angeles, looking out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward Canada.
She’d been in a daze of joy mixed with fear. Excitement warring with a slightly broken heart.
Xavier’s rejection in those last moments had stung. He might reject his child too.
What if he thought she was making this up as a reason to see him? He’d discover the truth soon enough, but still. The suspicion would hurt.
She took a deep breath and pulled her phone from her pocket. She found Jae in her contacts list and hit the button.
Her heart pounded fiercely, and she wasn’t even calling Xavier yet.
It was a relief when her call rolled to voicemail. “Hey, Jae, it’s Audrey. I need you to do me a favor. Can you call Xavier and tell him to call me? It’s important. Thanks.” She hung up. If Jae didn’t guess that meant she was pregnant, it would be a miracle.
It felt a little wrong. After all, the baby’s father should be the first person she told, but what else could she do?
She spent the rest of that Sunday in a daze, wandering her house, holding her phone. Waiting for either Jae or Xavier to call. She slept fitfully in spite of her pregnancy-induced exhaustion.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop herself from fantasizing that Xavier would be thrilled. Over time, they’d fall in love. They’d be a family.
It wasn’t a ridiculous dream, was it? The chemistry had been there. Given a chance, maybe they could go the distance?
She wanted to talk to a friend, to share this momentous news, but it didn’t feel right to tell Undine before telling Xavier. Audrey couldn’t share the news and celebrate until her baby’s father knew.
And if he wasn’t as excited as she was, that was fine. She’d be able to confide in Undine and other friends. The girlfriend brigade would share her joy and lift her spirits.
Monday morning, she dressed for work, exhausted, but her brain still buzzing. She’d try Jae again during her lunch break if she didn’t hear from him or Xavier by then.
She arrived at the office and went straight to the break room for her morning coffee. She stopped short as she reached for her mug from the shelf. Was she supposed to give up caffeine? She probably should have downloaded a pregnancy guide or something yesterday. She let out a small laugh. It would be just like Amazon to know she was pregnant before anyone else. But then, Google and Facebook probably already knew.
She went to the never-used, orange-handled, decaf coffee maker and brewed a pot. If Jae stopped by the office this morning, he’d know for sure. Steaming mug in hand, she made her way to her office, hoping the placebo effect worked for caffeine.
At the far end of the long hallway, standing outside the main conference room, was a man in military uniform. It was an unusual sight, but he probably was here about the Navy proposal that had crossed her desk a few weeks ago. Jeb had been right about the Navy wanting to use the lodge and grounds for some kind of training exercise. They’d attempted to rush it through with minimal environmental evaluation, and after the looting at the site, she’d been doubly concerned over the Navy’s callous disregard for addressing historic property protection and preservation.
She’d denied the permit for the coming winter season and told them to come back with more data next year. It would take at least six months to properly review the potential impact to cultural resources. They should have started the process earlier.
No doubt this guy was here to complain. He could take it up with her boss, the park superintendent. She had preservation law and the State Historic Preservation Office on her side.
She was halfway down the hall—almost to her office—when she glanced at the man again and found him staring at her.
Her coffee mug slipped from her hand and shattered on the hard floor. “Xavier? What are you doing here?”
And then it hit her. Jae had contacted him. And Xavier, likely guessing what she had to tell him, had come here in person to receive the news.
Joy rushed through her. She could tell him. And if his being here was any kind of sign, he was excited too.
She gave him a bright smile. “We need to talk. In my office.” She nodded toward the door with her name engraved on the plaque a few feet away.
He walked toward her, glancing from the smashed mug and splattered coffee to her and her office door. The look on his face was strangely blank. He paused on the far side of the ceramic shards and coffee splatter. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Yeah. She should probably clean up the mess first. “I’ll get a mop and a broom. But then we need to talk. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I can’t speak with you. Not without your boss present.”
He wasn’t making any sense. He wanted her to tell him the big news in front of Jim? “What? That would be…awkward.”
He cocked his head. “Audrey, I’m not here to see you.”
“Oh.” The hope and joy deflated faster than her mug had shattered. “Then why are you here?”
Jim stepped out of the conference room. “Warrant Officer Rivera, a representative for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is ready to hear your statement.”
Sickening dread slid down Audrey’s spine, but nothing could prepare her for Xavier’s next words.
“I’m here because I know you denied the Navy’s proposed training exercise because I slept with you and then rejected you.”
What happens when Audrey interrupts the training right when it’s about to start?
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“Likable lead characters fight to survive in this sharp, relentlessly edgy tale.”
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As a storm rolls in, a team of elite Navy SEALs arrives at a remote lodge for a wilderness training exercise that becomes terrifyingly real…
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Xavier Rivera planned the exercise down to the smallest detail, but he didn’t plan the arrival of archaeologist Audrey Kendrick—a woman he shared a passionate night with before betraying her in the worst way.
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As the storm is unleashed on the historic lodge it becomes clear the training has been compromised. Trapped by weather, isolated by the remote wilderness, and silenced as communication with the world has been severed, unarmed SEALs face an unexpected and deadly foe.
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