“YOU HAVE A FEMALE FOR main contractor?” Brad Parker, the project’s newest engineer, asked his boss. “That’s an interesting plus. It will be the first time I’ve ever worked with one.”
Pete sat at his desk and tried to keep from snarling at the man. Thirty-two-year-old Parker had just arrived on-site and didn’t know Cali’s reputation. He wasn’t in the military, nor would his employees be. “Ms. Roland knows her business,” Pete responded, a tinge of warning in his voice. He didn’t like the fact that another Taliban attack had necessitated this change in personnel.
Three weeks ago, in mid-September, their owner’s chief structural engineer had been driving on the outer perimeter road and had hit a roadside bomb. Teddy Hanson had suffered major injuries. Pete was eternally grateful that the Canadian helicopter crew had been coming in that day to pick them up for their bimonthly flight to Kabul. They were able to whisk Teddy to the hospital, and an operation saved his life. But that left a hole in Pete’s supervisory force, and Brad Parker, a civilian, was Teddy’s replacement.
Chuckling, Brad leaned back in the chair, seeming far too pleased with himself. He had his legs crossed, a clipboard in his lap. “Listen, women at a site like this are rare, anyway. I’ve banged around Asia and the Middle East a bit, and women are off-limits because of all the religious beliefs.” He grimaced. “Hell for me. I like women. I like their company. That’s the only thing I don’t like about jobs out in the middle of nowhere.”
Pete couldn’t disagree with him. He handed Parker the rest of the reports, plus his duties, which were clearly spelled out in the standard operating procedure manual they all used.
“Teddy Hanson won’t be coming back, and you’ve signed a contract for one year. I think by the end of that time you’ll know whether you’ve had your fill of our site or not,” Pete said.
“There’s always Kabul. If you let me escape one or two weekends a month, I’ll be okay.”
“If you want to drive four hours one way to reach the city, that’s fine by me.” The guy looked like a leading man in a movie. The errant thought that Cali might be attracted to this easygoing, smiling structural engineer bothered Pete.
“Well, let’s see how it goes.” Parker picked up the clipboard and the manual and rose. “I came out of a nasty divorce a year ago. Women are nice, in their place. But I’m not interested in making a home with one soon.”
The two men shook hands, sealing the start of Parker’s tenure. “I know Ms. Roland is out at the building site. They’re waiting on you, Parker. We’ve got a lot of work backed up that needs inspection and your recommendations.”
Putting his dark blue hard hat on his head, Parker grinned. “I’m on it. I’ll give you an update at the end of the day.”
“Sounds good. Thanks.” Pete watched the man leave. He was six foot three inches tall, well-built and in vital health. As the door shut, Pete wondered again if Cali would be drawn to this man armed with charm, poise and a flashing smile.
Scowling, he shoved the thought aside and got to work.
CALI WAS LOOKING AT the steel rebar that had been put into the bottom of the square foundation. The September sunlight poured warmth down upon the dry plain. For a moment, she lingered there, enjoying the heat and surveying the progress.
“Ms. Roland?” The deep male voice came from behind her.
“Yes?” She looked up into the glimmering blue eyes of a stranger. An intensely good-looking stranger. Behind his square jaw and handsome face she sensed a keen intelligence.
“I’m Brad Parker, the new structural engineer.” He extended his hand. “I’m Teddy Hanson’s replacement.”
Cali reached out and gripped the man’s broad and callused hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Parker.”
“Call me Brad.”
Sometimes, when Cali shook hands, men tried to crunch her bones. Over the years, she’d learned this was a subtle test to see if she was really a strong woman. Parker seemed to monitor the amount of pressure he exerted, however. He was gentle with her.
She grew uncomfortable under his intense gaze. Heat sprang up in her face as he gave her a long, appreciative look. Releasing his hand, she stepped back, unnerved.
“I think ‘Mr. Parker’ will do,” she answered coolly. A warning went off deep inside her. A sense of fright. She didn’t have time to analyze why. For now, she would focus on the rebar inspection. Turning, she gestured toward the foundation. “We’re glad you’re here. You’ve got a lot of inspecting to do in order to catch up. Right now, we’re running a week behind schedule because we lost Teddy to that roadside bomb.”
“Well, don’t fret, Ms. Roland. I’m here and I’ll get us back on schedule. Guaranteed.” Parker gave her a confident smile.
His smile reminded Cali instantly of Russ—the man who had taken her down at the other project. He, too, had possessed a killer smile to go with his drop-dead-gorgeous looks. It was obvious that Brad Parker thought a lot of himself, and she couldn’t ignore the sense that he was coming on to her. Maybe she was making this all up. Running scared because of what Russ had done to trick her. Without thinking, Cali dropped her gaze to Parker’s left hand. No wedding ring. But that wasn’t unusual. Construction hard hats didn’t usually wear jewelry. Asking about his marital status would give the wrong impression.
“Well, let’s take all your unbridled energy and put it to work,” Cali said, stepping aside as he moved closer to her. But instead of allowing a safe distance between them, Parker got in her space. Cali automatically stepped away again and shot him a dark look of warning.
The man smiled and glanced down at the construction schedule. “Well, have no fear, Parker’s here, Ms. Roland. We’ll get this baby back on schedule in a snap.”
Cringing inwardly at his bravado, Cali said, “Unless you’re prepared to work 24–7 for a week, that won’t happen, Mr. Parker.”
“Let me impress you.”
Cali’s stomach knotted. “You don’t need to work at impressing me, Mr. Parker. You need to impress your boss, Major Trayhern.”
“Oh, him. He’s a real serious type, isn’t he?” Parker walked down one side of the dug foundation and looked closely at the rebar.
“Major Trayhern does a damn good job on this site, Mr. Parker,” Cali snapped. “If I were you, I’d reserve any early opinion of him and let him impress you with his knowledge and experience.”
Lifting his hand, Parker laughed. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Well, time to get down to business. I’ve got a lot of rebar to inspect, it looks like.”
The wind gusted and a cloud of dust swept across the area. Cali took off her damp pink bandanna and wiped her face. She was sweating in the autumn sunlight. So was everyone else. The Afghan workers, who were learning the correct way to place rebar, chattered in their own language. Bulldozers rumbled in the distance, and the familiar sound soothed Cali’s frayed nerves a bit. She wanted to run from this guy, but couldn’t. She had to make sure his inspections were thorough and met her criteria as well as Pete’s.
Cali followed, keeping a safe distance from this engineer who obviously thought he was going to flirt openly with her. What a contrast to the sense of safety she felt with Pete Trayhern. Pete wasn’t flashy like this character. He was responsible and stable in comparison, something Cali had always wanted in a man.
As they moved to the second side of the foundation, Cali watched Parker lean down and test the wire ties that held the rust-colored rebar together. He had a workingman’s hands. As he ran through his checklist, he seemed to forget she was trailing him like a shadow, and that sent a wave of relief through her.
She tried to forget how similar Parker was to Russ. And because these circles tended to be small, she wondered if he knew Russ. That thought sent a shaft of terror through her. Pete didn’t seem to know of her past, and she was anxious to keep it that way. He respected her, and Cali never wanted to lose that precious bond with him.
“Hey,” Parker called, twisting to look over his shoulder, “how about we get a soda together later at your office trailer, and celebrate my coming to the site?”
She gave him a flat look. “The only time I need to see you in my office, Mr. Parker, is if there is a problem with your inspection of my people’s rebar placement.” She saw him grin slightly, shrug and turn back to the work at hand. This guy didn’t know when to quit.
Cali had never thought of herself as a woman to be chased at a construction site. Maybe that was due to her assumption that she was “one of the boys” in a male-dominated profession. She wanted the men to treat her as an equal. And then Russ had come along and laid his elaborate trap for her. She’d fallen for it blindly—and stupidly. And now, Parker was trying to chase her. Well, to hell with that. She was off-limits and he’d better get the message. How she wished for Pete’s quiet company instead.
NEAR QUITTING TIME, Pete happened to be walking out among the newly dug foundations when he saw Cali with Parker. The shadows were deep as the Kush Mountains grew purple in the evening light. It would get cold and blustery now that the daytime heat was gone.
He had wondered how Parker was doing. Was he as good as Kerwin Elliot had said? The only way to tell was to see him at work. Pete was a hands-on manager, not one to stay in his office all day. He pined for the outdoors—the sun, the rain, the elements. It was where he felt at home.
His kept his eye on Parker, who was down in a foundation checking newly laid rebar. There seemed to be a problem, and Cali had crouched down to look at the section. What Pete saw next shocked him. He was a good two hundred feet away, walking between foundations, when it happened. Cali always wore gloves to protect her hands in this environment. Her current pair had dropped to the ground between her and the new structural engineer. As she reached to retrieve them, Pete saw Parker grab Cali’s hand.
It was a deliberate act. Pete halted, his mouth going grim. For an instant, he wanted to run over and yell at Parker to get his damn hands off her. Cali could have retrieved her gloves on her own. Parker hadn’t reached for them but he’d reached for her hand, instead.
Rage funneled through Pete. She couldn’t see him, with the angle he was approaching. And he couldn’t see her expression. But her body language was clear. She yanked her hand out of Parker’s, stood up and uttered sharp, curt words. Judging from the surprised look on Parker’s face and the censure in her voice, Pete figured she was angry. And well she should be. Who did Parker think he was?
As Pete pushed forward, his steps deliberate, puffs of dust rising where his work boots landed, he wanted to curl his fist and slam it into the engineer’s smug face.
“Problems, Ms. Roland?” Pete asked as he neared them. When Cali snapped her head toward him, anger and frustration were evident in her clear green eyes. Her cheeks were a heated red and her mouth was pursed.
Cali fumbled with her leather gloves. She was a case of nerves from Parker’s unexpected touch. “Major, er, no.” She found her professional voice as she saw the banked anger in her boss’s eyes, aimed at Parker. The structural engineer was still crouched, clipboard resting on his thigh.
Cali was so glad to see Pete show up. She didn’t need rescuing, but his presence was an immediate comfort. What a difference in personality between these two men. She longed to be near Pete, not egotistical Parker, who clearly thought he was God’s gift to women. Even now, Parker seemed unconcerned about his behavior, and that made her even angrier. But this was not the place or time to tackle it. They were surrounded by Afghans who could see everything, and Cali knew, from a managerial standpoint, that one didn’t drag dirty laundry out in front of employees. She gave Parker a warning look that spoke volumes, then returned her attention to Pete.
“We’re inspecting the rebar,” Cali told him, her tone now calm and collected.
Pete looked intently into her upturned face. More than anything, he wanted to ask if she was all right. She had gone from angry to all-business. Maybe later they could talk in private.
“What have you found so far? Any problems?” Pete asked his new hire.
“None, Major Trayhern,” Parker called. “From everything I can see so far, Ms. Roland’s men are doing a fine job. Of course, we’re only on the second foundation, with eight others to go, but it’s looking consistently good.”
Pete wondered if the engineer realized his faux pas. Pete could tell Cali was shaken, even though she tried to hide it. Her hands trembled slightly as she jerked her gloves back on. This made Pete all the more protective of her. “I want to see you in my office before quitting time today, Parker.” Looking at his watch, Pete added, “That means within the next thirty minutes.”
“I hear you loud and clear, Major. I was going to come in and see you shortly, anyway.”
Pete nodded and turned to Cali, who avoided his gaze. The panic and fear seemed so out of character for her. “You okay?” he asked, his voice quiet and probing.
“Y-yes, I’m fine, Pete.”
Every time she used his first name, he felt his flesh react as if stroked by a warm, moist breeze. Cali compressed her full lips and adjusted the white hard hat on her head.
“Thanks for asking,” she added.
How badly Pete wanted to talk to her. But that was impossible right now. “Well, I’ve got a few more stops to make.” He didn’t want to go. Instead, Pete ached to put his arms around Cali and tell her it was going to be all right. But that was not to be, and sadness flooded him.
“So do I,” Cali muttered. Swallowing hard, she turned on her heel and walked away. She wanted to run. Parker was a copy of Russ Turner in every way, and dread wound through her. This guy worked for Pete, so she couldn’t fire him. She couldn’t refuse to work with him. And worst of all, she was going to have to deal with Parker day in and day out. He was so damn bold and sure of himself. And he was chasing her. Cali could taste it. She wiped her sweaty brow with the back of her gloved hand. Escape. That was all she wanted at this moment. Pulling down the brim of her hat, Cali tried to breathe fully. She was breathing shallowly, as if scared. Well, wasn’t she?
And then her quick strides slowed. She wondered if Pete had seen what Parker had done. If he thought she’d encouraged Parker’s actions. What if he had? Would he blame her, the way she’d been blamed at the other project? In her experience, Cali found that men stuck together. When one woman came against all of them, hers was the reputation that got shredded and ruined. Russ had walked away laughing.
“MR. PARKER, WHAT DID you think you were doing, holding Ms. Roland’s hand like that earlier?” Pete stared hard at Brad Parker. The structural engineer had just gone over his notes with him, and their meeting was over. It took everything Pete had to keep his voice low and unruffled. He felt nothing like he sounded. Inside, he was furious. And as he appraised the shock in Parker’s darkly suntanned features, he waited for an answer. An answer he practically wanted to shake out of him.
“Why…I was just reaching down to grab Ms. Roland’s glove. The wind blew them off the rebar.”
“Really? That’s not how it appeared to me from where I stood.”
Parker shrugged easily. He picked up his reports and clipped them back on the board resting on the table. “I was just trying to be a gentleman, Major Trayhern.”
He was lying and Pete knew it. Yet the innocent look on Parker’s face would fool a lot of people. Maybe because he yearned for Cali, but could never have her, Pete saw Parker as a huge threat. Maybe he was just jealous. Okay, he damn well admitted it, but only to himself. “Next time, Parker, keep your hands to yourself. It looked like you deliberately reached out to catch her hand as she bent down to pick up her gloves.”
Parker chuckled. “Hey, she’d been wanting her hand held all day, Major. I was just complying.”
Rage funneled up through Pete. “Complying? As if she was wanting you to do something stupid like that?” He ached to curl his hand into a fist and put it right through Parker’s smiling features. The guy was brazen, bold and arrogant.
Parker picked up his hard hat and placed it back on his head. “Major, with all due respect, I don’t have to go out and chase women down. They come to me.” His mouth curved faintly.
“Let me be very clear,” Pete said, his voice deep, “I don’t ever want to see you out on my site touching Ms. Roland in any way at any time. I don’t care what the reason is. You got that?”
“Not a problem, Major. I can’t help it if she was flirting with me all day long. But I’ll refrain and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Are we done? I’ve got some reports to type into the computer.”
“We’re done.” Pete held on to his rage. He watched the man stroll out of his office as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Rubbing his jaw, Pete wondered if it was true. Did Cali ask for his attention like that? Every cell in his body exploded with a screaming no. Cali had never flirted with anyone at this site. Not ever. Not even with him.
Sitting down on a wooden stool, Pete tried to focus on a set of blueprints. The sounds of earthmoving equipment provided a backdrop of noise as he unrolled the scrolls outward and flattened them. Try as he might to focus on his work, thoughts of Cali assailed him. His heart insisted Cali had not invited the advance, but jealousy ate at Pete. He was so deeply in turmoil over the possibility that she was drawn to Parker that bitterness coated his mouth. He reached for a soda, chugged some of it and set the can down a little harder than necessary. What was he going to do with these feelings?