Texas Wildcat (16 page)

Ten

“Y
ou aren’t going to like what I have to show you, Kelly,” Jake warned. He watched her walk across the office, remaining silent until she seated herself. She appeared wan and drawn. It left him feeling guilty about discussing the information from the lab analysis.

Kelly forced a slight smile. She should have taken another day off after her return to Houston. But she couldn’t bear to remain at home with the pain of her memories.

During those last twenty-four hours with Sam, time had been at a premium. In the C-130 cargo plane she had slept in his arms. Each touch of his hands on her body was indelibly branded into her memory. When they finally reached Houston International, Sam had pulled her aside before the flurry of activity commenced.

“Go on home, Kelly,” he ordered, his eyes broadcasting his concern.

She stared up into his strong face which was lined with exhaustion. “What about you?” she demanded.

He gave her a slight smile. “We’ll have at least four hours of unloading to do here before any of us can crash. Kelly, I want to—”

“Hey, Sam!” Boots yelled.

Sam lifted his head. “What now?” he growled, releasing her. “Stay here, I’ll be right back,” he told her.

She had stood, arms wrapped around herself, suddenly chilled even though the temperature was in the high eighties. In comparison to Rub al Khali Desert, eighty was cool! She watched as Sam talked with Boots and Coots for several minutes, then broke free and walked toward her.

His face was set, an unhappy expression in his eyes. He gripped her arms when he reached her. “Bad news,” he said. “We’ve just got a call to go down to Venezuela. They got an offshore platform that’s on fire and they want us to put it out. Damn.” He studied her intently. “Will you be all right, Kelly?”

The worry in his voice made her heart turn over. “Of course. You know we redheaded witches survive very well on our own.” It was a total lie. All she wanted to do was fall into his arms and sleep. She wanted to speak of her love for him. But hadn’t Sam made it very clear that he didn’t believe in instant attraction? She swallowed the torrent of admissions that wanted to pour from her lips.

“Sam…” she said breathlessly, “be careful….”

His blue eyes took on a familiar teasing glint. “As long as you don’t put a curse on me for running off and leaving you, I will be.”

She forced a laugh for his benefit. He had no idea of the inner turmoil she was experiencing. It was just as well. “Platforms are dangerous, Sam. Please, for God’s sake, be careful.” Her voice was strained with unshed tears. He pulled her into his arms, pressing her tightly against him.

“You’d miss me?”

“Oh! You arrogant—”

He laughed. “I know.” He kissed her temple, resting his head on her fiery red hair. “I shouldn’t tease you. You’re tired and it’s been one hell of an experience for you.” He put her at arm’s length, hungrily assessing her features. His voice lowered, sending a shiver of desire coursing through her. “We’ve got things to discuss when I come back, Kelly. This is not the time or place.” His fingers caressed her shoulders and arms. “I don’t know how long this Venezuela job will last. Just keep the home fires burning for me?”

She stifled a laugh. “Is that a pun, Sam Tyler? Or do you want me to become an arsonist to halt your worldwide globetrotting and lure you back to Houston?”

He leaned down, pressing a long, gentle kiss to her lips. She melted against his hard, muscular frame, so much clay to be molded by his will. She returned his ardent, searching kiss, wanting in some silent way to convey her love for him.

Kelly made a concerted effort to pull herself back to the present. Jake was giving her a worried look and she sat up, elbows on the desk.

“Okay, what have you found out about that batch of pipe, Jake?”

His brows drew together as he handed her the sheaf of papers. “You sure you’re up to it, today? You look mighty peaked.”

“I’ll be okay,” she lied. Her gaze immediately went to the metallurgy report. Her father had developed a precise formula for Blanchard Pipe and Kelly had memorized it long ago. According to the lab report, the amounts of the various alloys used had not been correct in that particular batch of steel. Kelly shot a look over at Jake.

“This isn’t right.”

“No, it isn’t,” Jake returned heavily. “I’ve alerted all the companies we’ve sold that pipe to and we’re in the process of recalling it. I’m replacing it with a different batch. So far our investigation shows only one pipe that didn’t meet our specifications. Obviously the problem was caused by the metallurgical department at the steel mill.”

Kelly’s mouth thinned as she perused the rest of the complicated reports. “What I don’t understand is how that metallurgist could make this kind of obvious mistake! He’s supposed to test the mixture a number of times before it comes out of the furnace. Damn,” she breathed, throwing the papers down in front of her. Her green eyes narrowed upon Jake.

“There’s more,” she said, suddenly knowing he had not told her something.

“Yes, there is.” He handed her another sheet of paper. “I had a detective do some investigation on the metallurgist. He turned up some pretty damning evidence. When I confronted the metallurgist about it he broke down. Apparently, someone bribed him to alter the formula.”

Kelly’s lips parted. She stared at Jake. Disbelief widened her eyes. “I don’t believe this!” she gasped. “I don’t believe it!”

* * *

Kelly stared sightlessly out her office window. Two months…two long, lonely months without Sam Tyler’s familiar teasing presence, his laughter or his touch. His latest hastily scrawled postcard lay on her desk, smudged with what appeared to be oil or grease. She had kept touch with progress on the blowout through the office of Boots and Coots at Port Neches, Texas. The Houston papers had run several pictures of the belching, fiery monster sitting off the Venezuelan coast. It was being touted as the worst blowout in the history of oil well firefighting. Even worse than the Devil’s Cigarette Lighter in Gassi Touil in the Sahara. Already five Venezuelans had died.

Brow furrowed, Kelly turned and stared down at the postcard. I love you, Sam Tyler. Dammit, I want to see you! I don’t want to wait any longer! Her nostrils flared with frustration. There was no phone where Sam Tyler was working. And certainly, no mailing address.

“Dammit!” she whispered, beginning to pace the length of her office. She worried about him. He had come off one exhausting fire only to turn around and battle this monster in the waters of the Caribbean. Was he getting enough sleep? Blowouts were no place to be caught off guard due to exhaustion. Thus far, no one from Boots and Coots company had been injured. They were known for their safety record and had never lost a man to a blowout.

She picked up his postcard, staring at the signature. He had signed it, “Love, Sam.” In the two months that had passed since she had last seen him, Kelly had had time to examine her feelings for Sam. Pursing her full lips, she made a decision and buzzed her secretary.

* * *

Sam stood on the bow of the barge, legs spread apart to ride the motion of the waves slapping around them. His eyes were narrowed against the fiery sunset on the ocean in front of them. Cupping his hands to shade his eyes, he gazed at the wrecked oil platform. Coots stood beside him, a pair of binoculars in hand, watching in silence.

“That’s one mean blowout,” Coots finally growled, lowering the binoculars and casting a glance in Sam’s direction. “Come on, let’s get ashore and eat. We’ll set the explosives tomorrow morning.”

Sam nodded, wiping his face clean of the ever present sweat. “I think if I have frijoles and rice one more night, I’m going to die.”

Coots grinned. “Hey, don’t you know this is heroic work we’re performing?”

Tyler snorted, walking aft with Coots. “Yeah, that’s what everybody else thinks, but they aren’t here in our boots.”

“Stuff the heroics. I just want to get back to Houston.”

Sam agreed, sitting down on a coil of rope at the rear of the boat. He rested his arms wearily on his knees, staring blankly off into the distance. Home. And Kelly. Damn, he missed her. Had she gotten the letters? The mail was undependable in this part of the world. He had signed the last one with love. If Kelly had gotten it, had she noticed that? He cradled his head wearily on his arms, exhaustion robbing him of his normal vitality. Was she taking care of herself? And had she fully recovered from her brush with death in the desert? Knowing her as he did, he guessed that she was driving everyone with a bullwhip in her effort to get her father’s company back into shape. A smile edged his mouth. At least Blanchard Pipe was performing like a champ at this damn blowout. Kelly would be happy about that.

“Well I’ll be,” Coots rumbled. He nudged Sam on the shoulder. “Hey! You’d better see what’s waiting for you on the dock, Sam. Take a look.”

Sam lifted his head. It was dusk, and the fading light made those on shore look like shadows. No…it couldn’t be…He stood, his eyes narrowing. His heart pounded with the tumult of emotions that surged through his body. “Kelly!” he breathed softly.

Coots grinned. “And in our white uniform! I wonder if she’s ready to sign up for this blowout? God knows, we could use some Irish luck.” He slapped Tyler on his broad shoulder. “She’s some kind of woman! Treat her right, Sam. She’s one in a million!”

Sam couldn’t tear his gaze from her. “You bet she is,” he agreed fervently. She stood there at the end of the dock in the white company uniform, her red hair a delicious contrast to the clothing. He could barely contain his happiness. A grin pulled at his mouth as he made eye contact with Kelly. The smile that blossomed on her face filled his heart with undeniable love for her.

The boat came alongside the dock and Sam leaped the last three feet, landing like a cat on the rickety wooden surface. Kelly’s eyes were wide as she stared up at him. He closed the last few feet and opened his arms to her.

“Come here,” he whispered roughly.

“Oh, Sam!” she cried, flinging her arms around his neck. He smelled of oil and sweat, but she didn’t care. Hungrily, she lifted her face, meeting his descending mouth with utter abandon. He tasted of ocean salt, and his mouth was strong and masculine. A small cry of joy rose in her throat and she pressed herself shamelessly to him, luxuriating in the feel of his athletically muscled body. His hands seared her flesh as he ran them down her back, capturing her hips against him, making her aware of his need for her.

Breathlessly, she broke free of his dizzying kiss. Kelly cradled his face between her slender fingers, anxiously search his eyes. “You look awful!” she wailed. He had a two-day growth of beard, his cheeks were gaunt from not eating properly and his eyes were red-rimmed.

Sam lifted her off her feet as if she were a feather, crushing her in his embrace, ignoring her protest. “God, how I’ve missed you, woman,” he whispered hoarsely against her hair.

She struggled free. “I was right! You were sick! Oh, Sam, why didn’t you come home?”

He laughed, bringing her back into his arms. “I’m not sick, my redhaired witch. This always happens on a long haul with a blowout of this sort.” His blue eyes crinkled with warmth. “You look absolutely beautiful, Kelly Blanchard. Just what the hell are you doing down here? Did you get a yellow fever vaccination? A cholera shot before you came?”

Tears welled up in her eyes. His voice was laden with emotion. She couldn’t—wouldn’t keep her hands off him. “Of course I did!”

He placed his arms around her shoulders, guiding her down the dock. In all directions men, machinery and trucks swarmed over the jungle landscape. Kelly turned, catching a glimpse of the oil platform burning fiercely offshore. She glanced up at him.

“You look terrible. Haven’t they been giving you enough rest?”

He gave her a crooked grin. “You keep telling me how bad I look, woman.”

“Sam Tyler, I’m mentioning it because I care, dammit!”

“That’s more like it.” He gave her a pat on the rear. “Come on, we got beans and rice to look forward to for dinner tonight.”

Kelly shook her head. “No you don’t. I brought down a care package of good Texas beef steaks, corn on the cob and beer.”

Sam laughed. “You’re one incredible woman, honey. Come on, I’m starved!”

The men of the company gathered in the dingy shack that they called home when they weren’t fighting the blowouts. Coots rewarded Kelly with a huge smile when the Venezuelan cook brought out the medium-rare steaks on a huge platter. They sat squeezed around the table, elbows and knees touching. The laughter, jokes and merriment were unchecked. Kelly took great pleasure in watching Sam consume his meal.

“Is Houston the same without us?” Coots wanted to know, finishing up the last of the steak.

Kelly shook her head. “We’re all pining away for you boys.”

“Man,” Colly growled, “I want to get home. Two blowouts back to back is enough to kill ya.”

Sam nodded his agreement and took a swig of the cold beer. He handed it to Kelly, who took a sip. “Another two days and we ought to be ready to fly out, Colly. Hang in there, buddy.”

“Two days?” Kelly asked, a hopeful note in her voice.

“Yep,” Coots said, rising. “Now that we got all the debris off the deck, we’re placing the explosives over the fire tomorrow. The platform was a mangled mess when we arrived.”

Sam rose, pulling Kelly with him. “Enough shoptalk. You guys excuse me while I take my best girl for a walk.”

The evening air was damp with the smell of the jungle mixed with the tangy salt air from the Caribbean. The stars were coming out, glittering like cut crystals in the black heavens above them. Kelly was content to lay her head on his shoulder as they walked slowly down a well-trodden path toward the shore.

“Your girl, huh?”

“Yup. You got any objections?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

Sam raised one eyebrow and stopped, resting his arms on her shoulders as she faced him. The shadows moved across his craggy face, the lantern light defining his strong, sensual mouth and jawline. “You’re mighty spirited tonight, Kelly Blanchard. I’ve been trying to piece together why you came down here.”