Broken Promises (7 page)

"In a way," Zak replied. "The problem is, we've got a couple of fathers who are as stubborn as hell, and who knows how it will turn out, but we don't need to be in the middle."

"That's easy for you to say," Tess said, "but I'm sitting on a piece of land they both claim, and while they're fighting it out, I'm trying to run a logging camp. I am in the middle."

"Just don't let my father intimidate you," Zak warned. "He's determined to stop the cutting."

"So am I," Tess said. "At least your father and I are on the same side about that. You'll be coming too, won't you?" she asked, knowing she didn't want to face Zak's father alone.

"I'll try," Zak replied. "But I may be late since I have paperwork to fill out on the chick."

As Tess watched the truck drive off, she felt anxious. Although she wasn't easily intimidated, the thought of facing Zak's father made her uneasy. From what she'd heard, Jean-Pierre de Neuville was as unyielding as her father. Tomorrow's meeting, she suspected, would confirm that.

***

Tess opened the door and peered into a pair of eyes that shone like honed steel. "Miss O'Reilly," the man said. "I'm Jean-Pierre de Neuville."

Tess stared unblinking. Zak's father was perhaps the handsomest older man she'd ever met. His shock of white hair heightened the depth of his sun-bronzed face and softened the lines etched about his mouth. "Come in," she said, "I was expecting you." Her gaze brushed lightly over his suede coat and western-cut slacks, then shifted to the woman standing beside him.

He reached out, taking his wife's arm, said in a crisp voice, "This is Mrs. de Neuville."

Tess turned to Zak's mother. "Mrs. de Neuville," she acknowledged, noting that her blue eyes matched the shirt beneath her gray leather jacket. She was also wearing jeans and leather clogs, which surprised Tess. For some reason she'd expected her to show up wearing a long dress and a head scarf. Instead, her gray hair was swept back into a knot at her nape and held in place by a sterling silver clasp with turquoise inlay.

Tess saw from Zak's parents where he got his impressive height, and exceptional looks.

Jean-Pierre de Neuville fixed Tess with hard, unfriendly eyes, and said, "If the timber cutting on my property doesn't stop immediately, and compensation made for the trees that are down, I'll be forced to take legal action."

Tess swallowed hard. The man certainly got right to the point. "Please, won't you both sit down?" she said, indicating the couch and the overstuffed chair.

Gratianne de Neuville moved to sit on the couch, but Jean-Pierre remained standing until he caught Gratianne's eye and lowered his large frame into the chair. His eyes rested momentarily on the chess set, then he looked questioningly at Tess.

Tess gave him a quick, nervous smile. "My father and I play sometimes," she explained. She sat on the couch with Zak's mother, maintaining some space between them.

Jean-Pierre's eyes flashed with impatience. "According to my manager, ten trees have been taken from land your father believes is his. I assure you, Miss O'Reilly, the land in question does not belong to Timber West. The survey I've just had completed shows the property line to be forty feet east of where your father believes it to run. I want to remind you that the penalty for wrongfully cutting trees on someone else's property is four times their value, and if your father doesn't stop cutting immediately--"

"Mr. de Neuville," Tess said, "I'm sorry about the trees and I'm trying very hard to clear up the misunderstanding about the property line with my father, and I assure you, I'll do my best to see that no more trees will be cut."

"My son indicates that he was given that assurance once before, and after that, two more trees were cut," Jean-Pierre, replied.

"There's a question about who cut that last two trees," Tess said. "I believe Jed Swenson, the man who's working for you, cut the two trees and is trying to blame it on one of my men."

Jean-Pierre rose. "You're accusing my manager of cutting my own trees?" he said, his voice a subtle blend of irony and challenge. "That's just about what I expected from an O'Reilly--"

"
Jean-Pierre
!" Gratianne broke in. Jean-Pierre looked at his wife. "I'm sorry," he said, shifting his gaze from Gratianne to Tess. He lowered himself into the chair once again. Gratianne caught Tess's eye and gave her a brief, apologetic smile.

"I know you're upset about the trees, and I don't blame you," Tess said. "All I can do is assure you that I'll do everything I can to see that no more are cut. If you'll give me an estimate of what you think the trees are worth, I'll see that you're reimbursed for the first eight. The other two are still in question."

"Jed Swenson did not cut the trees," Jean-Pierre insisted.

"Perhaps not, but neither did Curt Broderick," Tess replied, with equal certainty. "I guess the question is, who did?"

Jean-Pierre stood. "If you'll excuse me, I want to drive up the road to where the cutting took place and take a look at the trees."

"Please do," Tess said. "Shall I go with you?"

"That's not necessary," Jean-Pierre stated, his voice firm. "Gratianne?"

Gratianne eyed her husband, and said, "If Miss O'Reilly doesn't mind, I'll stay here."

"That would be fine," Tess replied.

Jean-Pierre looked from his wife to Tess, then turned and left. Moments later, Tess saw his dark blue SUV move past the window.

"You'll have to forgive my husband," Gratianne said. "When he feels he's right about something, he'll defend it to the bitter end, much like Zak." She looked directly at Tess then, as if waiting for a response.

Tess wondered if Zak's mother had stayed behind in order to learn if their old relationship was on again. As Jean-Pierre de Neuville's wife, she too would want Zak to marry a Basque woman. "I'm afraid my father's the same," she replied, taking the focus off Zak. "I guess the problem is they both think they're right, and neither will back down and admit being wrong."

"That's Jean-Pierre for you," Gratianne replied. "I learned long ago to let him spout off when he thinks he's right, even when I know he's wrong, then I quietly put him in his place when he settles down again. I guess it works because we've been married for thirty-five years and the sparks are still there."

Tess visualized Jean-Pierre de Neuville's handsome face and forceful bearing and considered Gratianne's eloquent, yet spirited demeanor, and knew sparks could indeed be there. And she and Zak after thirty-five years? Would there still be sparks, if they ever married? She couldn't deny there were sparks now. Every time Zak looked at her, her heart tripped, and when he kissed her while they were watching the eagles, he'd barely brushed her lips when she felt a shot of adrenaline...

"Zak told me that Pio lost his mother recently," she said, hoping to glean information about Zak's marriage. "I was sorry to hear about that."

Gratianne's face grew concerned. "It's been a difficult adjustment for all of us," she said. "As soon as school's out for the summer, Pio will be staying here with Zak and I think they're both looking forward to that. Of course, Zak can't take the place of Pio's mother, but hopefully Zak will find a nice Basque woman in
Navarre
and settle down and make his father very happy."

Which reaffirmed what Tess already knew. Times had not changed in
Navarre
over the years, especially in the de Neuville household. Basque still married Basque. It also laid out Gratianne de Neuville's position. She was aligned with Zak's father.

 
Hearing footsteps on the porch, Tess looked over to find Zak peering through the window. She moved quickly to open the door, relieved that he'd finally arrived. Pio rushed around his father to where Gratianne sat, and Gratianne gave him a big hug.

"Do you have something for me?" Pio asked, looking expectantly at his grandmother.

Gratianne smiled. "Of course." She rummaged through her leather hand bag and withdrew a piece of beef jerky and handed it to him. Pio took the jerky and sat on the floor beside the overstuffed chair and started unwrapping it.

After Zak settled into the chair, he said to Tess, "How did it go? I assume my father went to check on the trees."

Tess shrugged. "I guess we'll soon find out. Your father is a very... umm... formidable man."

Zak laughed. "That's a nice way of putting it." He glanced at his mother, and said, "I hope someone will let me know if I ever get to be an obstinate, bullheaded old man."

"Son," Gratianne said with the expressive wave of her hand, "you're already obstinate and bullheaded. All you have to get is old."

Zak laughed and reached around to pull Pio up onto his lap, tickling his tummy. Pio curled around Zak's hand and giggled. "They're all against us, Pio. Remember that," he said.

Tess watched the interplay between father and son, feeling envious of their closeness. She remembered times when she and her father scrapped playfully, even after her mother died. They had a camaraderie, something she felt was unique that none of her friends had.

Her smile on watching Zak and Pio faded when she saw Jean-Pierre's SUV pull up in front. As he walked toward the cabin, she opened the door and stepped aside for him to enter.

Jean-Pierre remained outside. "The trees are larger than I thought," he said, his face sober. "We're looking at six to eight-hundred dollars a tree. I'll have Jed Swenson measure them and come up with an estimate."

"Swenson?" Tess said. "I hardly think we'd get a fair estimate if Jed Swenson measures the trees. That would be like sending the fox to guard the henhouse."

"I'll measure the trees," Zak said.

Jean-Pierre's eyes shifted from Tess to Zak. "I'd prefer you not get involved in this, son."

"Don't you think I'm capable of measuring trees?" Zak challenged.

Jean-Pierre met his son's intent gaze. "Very well then. I'll expect to have the figures by the end of the week." He turned to Tess. "I'll also need your father's assurance, in writing, that he acknowledges the property line as shown on the survey. If he doesn't, this will have to be settled in court. I'm afraid in that case my attorney will insist we collect the penalty for wrongfully cutting trees, a substantial amount. Now, if that's all, Miss O'Reilly."

"That's not all, Mr. de Neuville." Tess squared her shoulders. "We need to talk about the royalty on use of the logging road. It's very high. We've never paid more than a dollar per thousand board feet."

"That's an unrealistic figure in view of the fact that the road needs to be graded, shaped and rocked," Jean-Pierre said. "I've already contracted with Jed Swenson to do the work as well as continue to maintain the road for me. The royalty I'm charging will barely meet those expenses."

Tess looked at Jean-Pierre's rigid face. "But Timber West has always maintained the road."

"I prefer to have control of it myself," Jean-Pierre insisted. "That way I'm assured that the road will be properly maintained."

"The road has been adequately maintained for years, Mr. de Neuville," Tess said, holding
 
the man's forceful gaze. "The former owner had no complaints. I don't see how the roadwork you propose is justified."

"I'm afraid there's quite a bit of erosion at the south end of the road, and it has actually washed away in several spots during heavy rains," Jean-Pierre replied.

"Yes, but it was always
regraded
when that happened," Tess argued.

"It should never have happened in the first place," Jean-Pierre stated, "and it won't happen again when the road is properly drained, graded and rocked. I also insist that all gates be closed when the sheep are brought in, and that there will be no hauling during extremely wet weather."

"But if the road is rocked--"

"The road is not designed for heavy log trucks when the ground is saturated. I'm not being unreasonable, Miss O'Reilly, and I believe you know that." He looked beyond Tess to his wife."Gratianne, we should be getting back."

Gratianne stood and extended her hand to Pio, who looked up at Zak, and said, "You'll come next weekend, Papa?"

"You bet I will." Zak lifted Pio in his arms and gave him a hug. "Meanwhile, take good care of your kitten," he said.

Pio smiled. "I will."

Zak set Pio down, and Pio took his grandmother's extended hand. Gratianne smiled cordially at Tess, and after she and Pio left, Zak said to his father, "When I come next weekend, I want to talk some more about the situation with the road and the trees, so don't do anything before then."

Jean-Pierre held Zak's gaze. "I'll do what I have to do, son. This is not your concern."

Zak went over to stand beside Tess, and said, "Whatever involves Tess is my concern."

Jean-Pierre's gaze shifted between Zak and Tess, settling on Zak. "Like I said, I will do what I have to do." He glanced at Tess, and added, "Good day, Miss O'Reilly," then turned and left.

And Tess knew precisely where she stood. She also knew that Zak had positioned himself squarely between her and his father. As the SUV drove off, she said, "What you just did was like adding fuel to the fire."

"What I did was let my father know that I'm in agreement with you," Zak replied.