Rock and A Hard Place (Cascade Brides Series) (7 page)

Her brows inched up as she considered his words. “Will Merle be
coming?”

“He, uh, said he needed to attend to something...else.” He'd
last seen Merle chatting up a lovely lady of similar years in the
sanctuary after the service.

“I'm sorry I missed him.”

“He said to say hello.” Which Merle did, before his attention
went wandering toward the pretty lady. Must be something in the
spring air. Shane broadened his smile, wondering what Faith really
thought of
him
. Maybe today he'd find out. “So what do you
say about lunch?”

Faith scanned the crowd. “Sure you don't want to get to know the
other folks here? There are
lots
of fascinating people.
Wouldn't want you to feel pinned down to just one or two.”

He couldn't let her get out of it that easily. “It's just lunch,
Faith. You don't even have to speak to me while we eat.”

Her mouth twitched. “Okay, but next week, I challenge you to pick
a new person. You wouldn't want to hedge your bets, would you?”

“Alas, I'm not a gambling man, Miss Conrad.”

Her skepticism turned to a genuine smile. “Alright. I'm ready when
you are.”

He held out his arm.

Up went her brows again. “Are you serious?”

“Just being courteous.”

She seemed to be smothering a smile. “I think I'll be okay.”

Shane allowed her to precede him through the lobby. Faith smiled and
sent small waves to two or three people but he found himself
surprised she didn't seem to have any close friends of her own age.
At least at church. A few of the men her age watched her go with
longing looks—looks that reflected rejection. Which probably meant
they'd asked her out and they'd been turned down. He could see it in
their eyes.

As much as he hated to admit it, it fit the profile of the woman he
was getting to know. Faith wasn't shy, she simply seemed to be
avoiding meaningful relationships. Shane knew from chatting with
Merle that they didn't spend time together that wasn't work related.
What did Faith do at Thanksgiving? At Christmas? Why did she want to
remain so alone?

What was she so afraid of?

Once they were in the parking lot, Shane led the way to his Jeep.

“I saw a lunch café on the main drag. Does that sound okay?”

She nodded and climbed up into the vehicle with ease despite heeled
sandals.

“How's the ankle?”

“Better. A few days in the office gave it a break.”

“I saw your brochure online.” He felt his ears grow hot at the
admission, but soldiered on. “Any response from the world wide
web?”

“Actually yes. The client got a few calls and emails. There's one
womens writing group who are now planning to host their retreat in
Wheeler County because of it.”

“That's great!”

“Thanks. I'm glad Merle let me do it. He's been having a hard time
joining the twenty-first century technology-wise. He still even does
the accounting in a ledger by hand. At least he uses a cell phone
these days.”

“Yeah, I've noticed that the smaller the town, sometimes there's a
lag in getting up to speed. But a lot of people prefer the slower
pace and just aren't interested in ramping it up.”

“That's true and I think it's great—unless you're running a
business that requires a fresh infusion of capitol.”

He headed out onto the highway. “Can't disagree there. So has
technology been good for my uncle's business?”

A light went out of Faith's face.

He frowned at the abrupt change.
What did I say?

She looked out the window. “It's...definitely getting a bump via
the Internet.”

Shane hated it that he'd said something that upset her, but he
couldn't imagine what it was. He pulled into a parking spot near the
café. Faith remained silent as they exited the Jeep and headed
inside the restaurant.

Once they were seated, he leaned forward and looked her in the eye.
“What did I say?”

Faith's expression was blank. “What do you mean?”

“I asked about Merle's business and you went all quiet.”

She picked up her menu and peered at it before meeting his eyes.
“Maybe we should get this out in the open now.” Setting down the
menu, she lifted her chin. “I want a straight answer, Shane. Are
you checking up on me? Seeing if I'm somehow taking advantage of
your uncle?”

Shane sat back, shocked. “Of course not. Why would I?”

Faith didn't look convinced. “You're the long lost nephew come to
town. I'm the one who doesn't belong in the picture.”

“Okay, we just took a wrong turn here.” A waitressed approached
but he asked for a few more minutes. “Faith,” he said, lowering
his voice, “whatever arrangement you have with Merle is none of my
business. I was just making conversation.”

Her steady look told him she wasn't convinced. He raised his brows
in a gesture of appeal. “Believe me, please.”

Toying with her menu, she looked away for several moments. When she
turned back to him, he sensed vulnerability in her eyes. “So, what
is this?”

Shane lifted his shoulders. “Lunch?”

“Why?”

He sent her a quizzical look. “Is it the outside of the norm to be
asked to lunch because someone wants to get to know you?”

“I just wonder why it's you of all people. Did Merle put you up to
this?”

What answer would satisfy her? Mentioning Merle's hopes probably
wouldn't help. Then again informing her of his deepening interest in
her probably wouldn't either. “Faith, I asked you to lunch because
I want to get to know you. No intrigue.”

She sighed, her expression lightening a bit. “No intrigue? How
disappointing.”

Shane released a silent breath, glad he was once again on even
ground. He hoped it lasted longer than a heartbeat this time. “Do
you know what you want?”

Her eyes held a slight glimmer. “Esoterically or for lunch?”

He laughed softly. “Let's start with food and move on from there.”

“Okay.”

After ordering sandwiches and iced tea, Shane wondered how to ask
her about herself without sounding nosy. “So tell me everything
about yourself.”
Oops
.

She sent him a noncommittal smile. “You already know the gist.”

“Then tell me what you did after high school, how you came to John
Day from the valley.”

He discerned a stiffening of her shoulders. “I worked at a
restaurant and met Merle when he was visiting town. He liked a
photograph I took and hired me for a temporary summer project,”
resting her arms on the table, apparently composed. “In the valley
it's beautiful and lush, but I fell in love with mountains and
sunsets in eastern Oregon. I've been here ever since. And working
for Merle has allowed me to explore the back country as much as I
want.”

Shane regarded her for a moment. Why did he think there was more she
wasn't telling him? Then again, he had no right to pry. But her
constant hesitation and the measuring of her words only made him
more curious.

The waitress brought their sandwiches and iced tea. Shane offered a
prayer of thanks and they dug in. Faith seemed grateful her sandwich
prevented her from speaking.

“The food is good here,” he said after swallowing a bite.

She nodded.

Shane allowed her a few more minutes of reprieve. “So, tell me
about this photograph that got Merle's attention.”

Faith dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “It's of mine and my
sister's knees.”

He stared blankly at her for a moment, then remembered something
he'd seen. “The photograph in Merle's office?”

She nodded, a slight smile lighting up her careful features. “The
way our knees are posed in the photo mimic the placement of three
mountain peaks in Sisters, Oregon.”

“I've heard of the Three Sisters Mountains.” He sat back in his
chair. “The peaks are traditionally named Faith, Hope, and
Charity. Let me guess, your sisters—”

“Hope and Charity, yep. My mother seemed to think it was pret-ty
clever.”

“The photograph
is
extremely clever. And I missed the
significance. I just thought it was a picture of three pairs of
banged-up, bandaged adolescent knees.”

“Yeah, we were pretty rough and tumble back in the day. We lay on
our backs for the photo and the camera was set up on the sidewalk. I
timed it, hoping to get a bit of the sun going behind our kneecaps,
like a sunset.”

“That's exactly what it looks like now that I think of it.”

“If you compare it side by side with a particular angle of the
mountains, it's spot on.”

He shook his head. “That is such a cool idea.”

She snorted softly. “It took an entire roll of film to get that
one shot. Imagine me and a set of wiggly twin sisters who thought I
was bossy, and a self-timer set on an old Kodak camera I picked up
in a thrift store.”

He grinned. “I can easily imagine it. The story is almost as good
as the picture. Since you didn't use a digital camera, I'm guessing
the color tones aren't a retro afterthought.”

“Nope. It was taken a late summer afternoon and I overexposed the
film a little.”

Shane decided to buy a print, assuming Faith would sell him one. “I
can easily see why Merle not only hired you but kept you on. Did you
take photography in school?”

Again a slight fading of the color in her cheeks. “No. No time.
Unless you count the school of hard knocks.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I went there too.” He took a sip of his tea.
“You might consider picking up some courses to...keep up with the
latest developments in digital editing.”

“Great idea,” she said, then took another bite of her sandwich.

Somehow Shane knew this portion of the conversation was over.

After a moment, she spoke up. “So did you go to college right
after high school?”

“No, I waited a few years, which also means I've actually only
been in the field for four years.”

“Ah.”

He grinned, sensing the direction she was taking. “It's very
fortunate that I've met someone with so much back country experience
to guide me.”

Faith's face relaxed in a slow smile. “Exactly.”

“It'd be almost criminal to let me wander the hills and valleys
alone, beset upon by large game. Think of your guilt if something
happened.”

She swept his form with a quick look. “You seem able to handle
yourself in the Great Outdoors.”

“True of course, but at the same time I need all the help I can
get.”

A wry look was her response, but compared to some of the other
expressions he'd been on the end of, it was fine by him.

The rest of the lunch passed without the feeling of having to dodge
land mines. He couldn't wait to see her again. Shane watched color
bloom in her cheeks as she became more relaxed.

Maybe he wouldn't have to wait long.

***

“Do you want to see my place?”

Faith stopped after following Shane out the door of the restaurant,
once again taken off guard by him. “Huh?”

He smiled. “I mean, I could use some help choosing a wall color
and that sort of thing for my new house. And I could show you my
portfolio.”

It took an effort not to let her mixed feelings show. But he was her
boss's nephew and he was trying to be friendly. She could at least
return the favor. Looking on her past actions, she realized she'd
been as prickly as a hedgehog cactus. He'd made it clear he wasn't
after her job, and she didn't believe he was a liar. Maybe it was
time to be less suspicious and more welcoming of the man. Shane was
simply a nice guy and she'd been so blinded by worry of her job
status that she'd treated him without the basic respect he deserved.

“Sure. That'd be great.”

His smile was like the sun peeking past a cloud. She followed him to
his Jeep with an unfamiliar feeling of anticipation.

Faith watched him out of the corner of her eye, listening to his
banter on the way to his home. At his easy going manner, she
realized she'd been all wound up for nothing. Shane wasn't a monster
or a threat. In fact—she could even admit—she was attracted to
him. Really attracted if she was brutally honest. Not that it
mattered, it was just an observation. In a way, he reminded her of a
cougar. She could appreciate its appeal while at the same time
treating it with respect because it could be deadly.

She smothered a smile. Shane might annoy her to death with general
cheerfulness at worst. Plus, he
was
rather fond of asking a lot of questions. Well, she was good at
avoiding them, so no problem there. And he didn't want her job. Why
would he? He already had one that paid better. She could've saved
herself a lot of angst had she thought that one though a little
more.

Photography was his hobby. It was
her
livelihood. She was
more motivated. And that motivation would keep her on her toes,
getting the most dramatic shots for Bascombe Productions. Shane just
wanted to talk shop—one enthusiast with another like he'd said. No
biggie.

Right?

They stopped in front of a small house in a neighborhood with a
scattering of homes visible from between fir trees. Plastic toys and
bicycles littered the yards of a few of the houses in the vicinity.
Somehow she imagined Shane living in a remote cabin made with logs
and brawn. Or something.

“I'm renting for now,” he said as he slid from the truck. “But
I might end up buying. I like this area. There's elbow room but
there are also neighbors.”

Faith sent him a sidelong glance. “I thought you wanted to be a
lone ranger or something.”

“I'm already alone most days. It got old pretty fast.”

She nodded in acknowledgment out of politeness, then turned her
attention to his small Craftsman style home. As they headed up the
steps, she saw it needed some TLC. Peeling paint, bent gutters and a
cracked front window. When they went inside she saw immediate
potential. Scarred but beautiful fir floors and woodwork highlighted
the small but cozy rooms. A leather couch with a matching chair and
ottoman filled the living room. The walls—a bland beige color—were
void of décor.