Newport Dreams: A Breakwater Bay Novella (6 page)

“Get anything good?” Carlyn asked as she plopped down beside her.

“I think so,” Geordie said. Actually she’d taken some terrific shots of both land and friends.

Meri sat up, pulled back her hood and shook out her hair before reaching for the cooler. “We’d better eat this before it gets any later,” she said as she passed out sandwiches and crudité.

“I hope you guys are planning to stay for dinner, because Gran is making her special rosemary chicken and there’s homemade apple pie. I already had a piece at Alden’s and it’s delish.”

“He lives in that big house over there?” Geordie looked back at the peaked roofs of the dark house. Except for a sunporch that overlooked the ocean, it was just as dark as it had been in her first impression. “It’s kind of sinister-looking.”

Meri laughed. “It isn’t. It’s just that Alden lives there alone and works there when he isn’t traveling. He doesn’t really have the time to keep things fixed up. Plus he’s kind of a recluse.”

“Kind of . . . ?” Carlyn laughed. “I’ve never even seen him.”

“Because you never get out here. He’s perfectly fine. Our families have been neighbors for generations. They were actually working farms at one time. He’s been a part of the family for as long as I can remember. I’m glad he’s here to look out for Gran.” Meri smiled and Geordie tried to think back to her childhood and realized she had no idea who lived in any of the huge houses in the neighborhood where she grew up.

Poor little rich girl
, she thought and laughed at herself. She had nothing to complain about.

After the lunch and the trash was packed away, Meri stood and shook the sand from her clothes. “I’m going out to the breakers. You can see the whole ocean from there. It’s one of my favorite places. Anyone want to come ?”

Carlyn jumped up, grabbed her sweatshirt, and shoved her feet into sneakers. “You should come, Geordie. It’s a spectacular view. But put on shoes, some of the rocks are sharp.”

Geordie looked out at the black rocks. It looked kind of dangerous, but not all that high. She shrugged back into her sweatshirt, put on her shoes, and fixed the camera strap over her shoulder.

“When the tide comes in you have to wade back to land,” Meri said as they walked single file across the sand. “And in a storm, well, you better get the hell to land, because you’ll be stuck out there for the duration.”

Geordie looked at the sky. It was brilliant blue. But she could imagine.

They followed a narrow pathway through the beach grasses until they reached the rocks, which suddenly loomed taller than their heads. They were a lot larger than they had looked from the beach, Geordie realized. And a lot higher. She felt a familiar tightening of her throat.

Meri began to climb. Carlyn followed her, but Geordie hung back while she imagined a calm, safe place. She pushed her camera behind her as she groped for handholds on the jagged rocks. Focusing on the rough surface of the rocks ahead, she pushed one foot until it found a flat place on the boulder.

The other two were farther ahead of her now and Geordie risked a look up to see how much farther she had to go.

Carlyn was a shadow against the sun, but Meri had climbed to the crest of the jetty and stood feet planted between two boulders, her hair and clothes whipping in a blustery ocean wind.

Geordie hesitated, suddenly longing to be back on the sheltered beach. But when she turned to see how far she had come, the world went out of focus. Her heart began beating frantically, her throat tightened until she couldn’t draw breath.

Dizziness overcame her and she threw herself backward against the hard rock and squeezed her eyes shut.
Calm down. Turn around, and climb down.

“Hey, are you coming? Are you stuck?”

She heard Carlyn call her, but her voice seemed far away.

“Are you okay?” Meri’s voice, concerned.

Geordie could only wave them off. Why had she looked back? She’d been fine until then. She grabbed her camera with both hands, saw them shaking, and slid down the rough edge of rock until she was sitting with her back pressed against the hard surface. Steadied the camera and looked through the lens until the dizziness and panic began to subside.

She fought back tears of fear and frustration.
It’s not even that high, you dummy.
All she needed to do was stand up, follow Carlyn and Meri to the top like anybody else on earth would do. But all she could do was squat there, clutching her camera and staring through the lens at the black hard rock at her feet.

By the time they reached her, she had almost recovered. “Did I miss it? Sorry, I got wrapped up in taking some shots.”

“I’ll say. Get anything good?” Carlyn asked.

She risked a glance at Meri. Meri just smiled back at her.

“Yeah, I think so. Can’t help myself.” She waited for Carlyn and Meri to pass her, jumping from boulder to boulder, then she slid the rest of the way down, clutching her camera and grabbing at handholds, until her feet found soft sand again.

Chapter 6

G
EORDIE WAS RIDING
on a high when she got to work the next morning. Gran Calder had made her feel so welcome that she forgot her panic on the rocks. The rest of the day had been wonderful. Dinner was simple and delicious, served at the old kitchen table with no fanfare, but with plenty of love. They’d all gone home with extra pieces of pie, which Geordie had eaten for breakfast.

There were already several trucks in the back parking lot of Gilbert House, so Geordie pulled to the far side and parked under an old tree. She carried her equipment inside and looked into the kitchen, but it was empty. She could hear hammering from down the hall, so she followed the noise to the foyer, where the others were standing in a semicircle around—Gulp.

“Hey,” Meri said. “My scaffolding is almost finished.”

She sounded like Christmas morning. Geordie felt a creeping dread that started in the pit of her stomach and radiated out until her fingers tingled.

“Wow,” she managed. “I better put my stuff away.” She hurried down the hall to the annex and closed the door as soon as she was inside. What was wrong with her? It was a scaffold, for heaven’s sake. Not more than two stories high. And she’d prepare herself . . . if she had to.

She took a deep breath, blew it out her mouth. Took another. Besides, there wouldn’t be any reason for her to have to go up there. She had a powerful zoom lens. But what if . . .

She began to methodically lay out cameras and lenses that she would need for the day. Set up her laptop so she could transfer as she went, and not have to guess what the hell the pictures were like last week. Nothing like a load of extra work to speed up your learning curve. She was determined to appear calm, cool, and professional no matter what.

She had just picked up her zoom lens, when a shadow appeared in the doorway. She didn’t have to look up to know who it was. Her nemesis.

“Good morning,” she said, taking the initiative. She smiled brightly at him, even though he couldn’t manage to do anything but scowl. If possible he looked more tired than he had on Friday.

She decided to keep her sarcasm to herself.

“I know how you got this job.”

That made her look up. “I applied for it just like everyone else.”

“But not everyone has a family as influential as yours.”

She stared at him. “I—” She’d gotten this job on her own, the portfolio, the interview, it was all her. She hadn’t mentioned her family and God knew Holt was a common-enough name. “Who told you that?”

“That doesn’t matter. But you should know you’re costing us a lot of money.”

“What is it with you? I was hired—for a salary—just like the rest of you.”

“Right. Sure you were. Just try not to screw up until l—we—can replace you.”

He was gone. Her first instinct was to run after him and tell him he was wrong. Was he just guessing because somehow he had found out who her family was? Or was it true? Had they hired her as a favor to dear old Dad?

She flushed hot, her throat burned and she had to dig her nails into her palms to keep the tears of anger and frustration building in her eyes from overflowing.

“You’re an ass, Bruce Stafford,” she said to the empty room. She ran her knuckles beneath her eyes, picked up her camera and tripod and went to work.

She’d planned to start as far from Meri’s scaffolding as possible, but she ran into Carlyn, who was on her way back to her office.

“Oh, good. Meri needs some shots of her ceiling. Just to bring you up to speed, the medallion is heavy, sagging, and creating cracks in the plaster and Doug wants to have it inspected before she starts on it. She’s like a horse at the starting gate. So please go get some identifying shots so she can start work.”

Geordie nodded. She probably could get everything from the ground. If not, she’d just focus on her cameras until she got to the top . . . She swayed on her feet.
Stop it. Stop it.
She can do this. Yesterday had been an aberration.

She’d almost overcome her fear of heights, something she’d had since childhood. “Not necessarily from a trauma,” the doctor had said. Some people are just hardwired that way.”

She’d had the balance tests, done the shrink thing, and finally had success with behavioral therapy. Until last year, when she’d taken a nosedive, literally and figuratively, down the side of a canyon wall. Granted, it had been a little bitty canyon wall and she’d been properly harnessed. But it still had scared her spitless and undid all the therapy she’d gone through before.

She still hadn’t gone back for the refresher course.

She walked into the foyer. There was no sign of the workmen, just Doug and Bruce looking up at Meri, who waved from high above their heads. “This is fabulous.”

“Yeah.” Geordie breathed and looked up long enough to feel the room begin to spin.

“Oh, good. Carlyn found you.” Doug strode toward her.

“Will you please climb up there and take some shots so she’ll come back down and do the work I want her to do?”

“I can probably get it from down here. I’ve got a pretty powerful zoom lens. If Meri just points—”
Shut up. Stop talking. Stay calm.

Bruce appeared at Doug’s shoulder. “Just go up there so she can show you what she wants.”

Jeez. Why did he have to be so nasty all the time? It was such a shame, because he was fit, good-looking, and had a brain. And also had it out for her.

Meri looked down at them. “That’s okay. I’ll get them later. No need for both of us to be up here.”

“That’s what she’s being paid for.” Bruce turned on Geordie. “Anytime today would be good.”

Geordie gritted her teeth. Stepped toward the scaffolding. Her heart was thumping so hard in her chest she thought it could break bones.

“Really, it’s unnecessary,” Meri called.

“Now,” Bruce said. His eyes were locked on Geordie.

Geordie stopped. She would take the chance of humiliating herself in front of an audience. “No.”

“What?”

“No. I can take them from down here.” She tried to look at Bruce, but she was having a hard time just staying on her feet. On the ground, on the floor. She was safe.

“Afraid you’ll break a nail?”

“Bruce,” Meri yelled from the platform. “She can do them from down there, now let it be.”

“She can get them now. Get up there or get out.”

Doug frowned at him. “What the hell—”

That was all Geordie heard before she turned and ran from the room. She’d been stupid to think she could make a go of this.

She couldn’t work here. Not having to climb ladders and being yelled at by a man who hated her without even knowing her. She reached the annex and threw her camera into her case, snatched up her equipment and ran not toward the kitchen but to the emergency exit at the end of the annex hall. She shot the bolt and fled into the parking lot. One of the trucks was still parked, hiding her car from view.

She made a beeline behind the truck and ducked out of sight just as Meri opened the back door and looked out. Geordie heard the door slam and cautiously looked out from behind the truck.

Meri had gone back inside.

Well, at least Meri had come looking for her.

Geordie threw her equipment into the car and climbed in after it. Fumbled desperately for her keys with shaking fingers.

Damn Bruce. Damn this stupid fear.
She finally dragged her keys out of her bag and after several tries, found the ignition. Then she backed out of the lot and drove away without looking back.

“O
KAY, WHAT THE
hell was that all about?” Doug asked Bruce just as Meri ran back into the foyer.

“She’s gone. I checked the annex, the office, the kitchen, her car is gone.” She turned on Bruce. “What the heck is wrong with you?”

Carlyn stuck her head around the corner. “What’s all the commotion about?”

“Bruce just fired Geordie.”

“He can’t do that.” Carlyn turned to Doug. “He can’t do that, can he?”

“No, he can’t. What the hell is it with you and that girl?”

Bruce knew he had stepped way over the line. It wasn’t even Geordie’s fault. It was him. He was tired. Tired of being broke, tired of juggling too many jobs. Of driving an old car that was going to fall apart any minute. Of having to scrape and fight for everything he got. Of being attracted to a woman who wouldn’t give him the time of day.

“She only got this assignment because her family are the Holts.

“From the Holt Corporation?” Doug pursed his lips in a silent whisper.

“So?” Meri said.

“So she’s a spoiled rich girl out on a lark at our expense.”

“That isn’t true,” Meri said.

“She’s been useless and antagonistic since the get-go.”

Carlyn raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Maybe you should try kissing her instead of insulting her. She could probably fund this whole project from her clothes allowance.”

“Ugh.” Meri shoved her hands in her pockets.

Probably to keep from hitting him. Bruce couldn’t blame her if she did.

“Is that why you’ve been on her case since the get-go? Because she’s from a rich family?”

“I wasn’t.”

Meri gave him a look.

“She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“So? None of us did when we started. She’s a good photographer. With a little guidance, she would know what to do.” She stopped to give him another disgusted look. “We always work with newbies.”

“But we don’t pay them, or at least not a full salary.”

“Oh, my Lord.” Carlyn threw up her hands and disappeared from the doorway.

“We’re budgeted so much for start-up. And her fee is coming out of that.” He stopped. “Unless Mommy and Daddy are paying for her to work.”

This time Meri threw up her hands. “What does it matter? Now we don’t have a photographer. And that puts us behind schedule. And we’ve barely started. Unless you want to run after her and throw yourself on her mercy, you
dummkopf
.”

“She wouldn’t even climb the damn scaffolding.”

“She’s afraid of heights. Yeesh. Where is your brain? No don’t answer that.” She marched off down the hallway.

Bruce turned to Doug. “Did you know she was afraid of heights?”

Doug shook his head. “But that would explain why she didn’t want to climb up the scaffolding.”

Bruce shot his hands through his hair. Forced them down by his sides. “Why didn’t she say so?”

“Um, you didn’t really give her a chance.”

“Still it doesn’t change the fact that she’s a dabbling little rich girl and doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“Maybe not, but Meri and Carlyn like her, and so far they’re the only full-time staff I’m budgeted for. And unless you want to get down on your hands and knees and start stripping wallpaper in between documenting the project and overseeing the repairs and reconstructions, I’d say, we probably want to try and get her back.”

Bruce sighed. There was no question as to who Doug thought should beg Geordie to come back. He rubbed a hand across his face. “Doug, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ll go apologize. Ask her to come back.”

Doug just gave him one of those man-to-man, thank-God-I’m-not-in-your-shoes looks, before he turned and left the room. It didn’t make Bruce feel any better that he could hear him muttering to himself as he walked down the hall.

Bruce had jeopardized the project and he didn’t even really know that Geordie hadn’t gotten the job herself. What was happening to him, to be so vicious?

From the moment he saw her, he’d resented her. Because he’d seen all the things he’d ever aspired to and could never have. It wasn’t the money thing. Though who but a pampered rich brat would come to a renovation site driving an expensive sports car and wearing designer clothes?

She was clueless about a lot of things, but not so many as Bruce wanted to accuse her of. She did take a good photo. Even though he could tell her heart wasn’t in documentation. She was creative, a free spirit. He’d recognized that, too. And was drawn to it more than he wanted to admit.

So why wasn’t she doing what she wanted? Did she even know what she wanted? Bruce had known from high school that he wanted to study architecture. And living in Newport, he took preservation seriously.

He’d put in his time as an intern. An admittance that made him squirm with regret. He hadn’t been much younger than Geordie when he volunteered for his first project. He’d screwed up plenty, but instead of putting him down or firing him, the project manager, the conservator and even the assistants had been patient and shown him the ropes. Gave him a chance to succeed.

And how had he repaid their generosity? The first chance he had to do the right thing, he’d lit into a newbie, insulted her every chance he got, and fired her, even though he didn’t have the right to fire anyone. It was Doug’s project. Bruce was just one of the team.

A team that needed a project photographer. A team that needed Geordie. And he knew it would be up to him to get her back.

But he had no idea where to find her.

Carlyn would have her phone number and home address. He’d start there. No he’d start with an apology to his colleagues, then he’d ask for their help.