Wild Shores Page 3

  “I heat the place with a wood-burning stove in the winter, so I spend a lot of time doing things like chopping wood, doing my own repairs, and chasing bears away from my recycler.”

  “Internet?”

  “I’m not that far off-grid. Satellite, which does the job most days.”

  “What do you do when you’re not working?”

  “I ride a little bit when I have time.” Even though there was hardly any time when she wasn’t working, one way or the other.

  “Horses, you mean?”

  Austin nodded. “Motorcycles, ATVs too.”

  “Let me guess. Snowmobile?”

  Austin grinned and turned off the main highway when the in-dash voice instructed her to detour around slow traffic ahead. “Guilty. You?”

  “I live just outside Hartford and have an adjunct position at Yale. I ski, and I can always be persuaded to take a long weekend doing just about anything outdoors, any time of the year.”

  “What do you teach?”

  “Virology.”

  “Are you a medical doctor?”

  “No, PhD microbiologist. Well, that and an ornithologist.”

  Austin glanced at her, one eyebrow quirked. “Really? That’s an interesting combination.”

  Gem smiled. “It sounds that way. I went after the birds first.”

  “What makes someone want to study birds?”

  Gem hesitated over her standard answer, having learned most people didn’t really understand a love of birds. Birds weren’t like domestic pets or even farm animals—not cuddly, or people oriented, or hobby-farm material.

  “Is that an insulting question?”

  “No!” Gem blushed. “I always wanted to be a bird. This is as close as I could get.”

  Austin nodded as if she really understood. “They do seem to have a great life—except I always wonder if they know their existence is just one long struggle to survive. Not just birds—all creatures.”

  Gem detected a hint of pain that surprised her. “People too?”

  “Maybe us most of all.” Austin blew out a breath. Where the hell had all that come from. She had always been aware of her mortality. She’d learned that in a hospital bed before she could even put the pain and terror into words. But she’d gotten through all that, gotten over being the weak one in the family, the one who wasn’t quite fit enough to fit in with her high-achieving, risk-taking family. “Sorry. I think this soup is getting to me.” She glanced at Gem. “Tell me about the birds. What do you study?”

  “I started out with population studies and migratory patterns, and that led me into the study of bird-borne disease.”

  “That’s where the virology comes in, I take it.”

  “Yes. Now I consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on all kinds of environmental crossovers involving birds.”

  “Really.” Austin slowed as a string of taillights ahead of her blinked in the murky light. Warning bells rang. She’d had more than enough contact with Fish and Wildlife agents, since they were usually the first called in environmental contaminations. Like oil spills. “So research is your primary focus?”

  “Yes and no. I’m more of a field agent than a bencher. Right now I’m involved in a national study group looking at the presence of avian flu in migratory birds. We think the recent outbreak among chickens in the Midwest was transmitted from a locus in migratory wild geese.”

  “And that’s what you’ll be doing on Rock Hill Island?”

  “Mostly. It’s the height of the migration season, and we’re expecting a large number of species to make a stopover. We’re banding and cataloging, charting flock size and flight paths, and—” She broke off, laughing. “And I can’t imagine any of that is of interest to you at all.”

  “Actually,” Austin said quietly, “I think it’s very interesting. How extensive an area will the birds be occupying?”

  “Probably twenty-five miles of shoreline, and inland of course. We have observation stations scattered throughout the refuge. I’ll have one of those cabins.”

  “Sounds rustic,” Austin said.

  Gem laughed at the way the conversation had come full circle. “I’m going to let my inner geek show. It is pretty primitive, and it’s wonderful. Not totally uncivilized, mind you—we have running water and I can get cell service most days—but there’s no one around for miles. Waking in the morning to nothing but the sound of birds and the wind—and this time of year, rain a lot of the time—is my idea of heaven.” She laughed again. “Out there, I swear sometimes I feel like I really will grow wings.”

  Austin glanced at her, not a hint of mockery on her face. “You want to, don’t you?”

  “More than anything,” Gem said softly.

  “Do you fly?”

  “Only when forced.”

  Austin grinned, a damnably handsome grin, Gem noticed. That was odd for her too, noticing women she hardly knew in a physical way. But then the whole day was a little out of time—here she was, enclosed in a vehicle with a near stranger, muffled by a blanket of fog as if the rest of the world didn’t even exist, headed along a road she could barely see. She had every reason to be uncomfortable, or at least as guarded when meeting new people as she usually was—no one would ever confuse her with an extrovert—but here she was, chattering away, and enjoying herself. For once, she’d just let things be and not try to analyze everything. What was it Kim always said—she felt with her head and not her heart? Today, she’d just shut off the little voice that cautioned her to be careful, not to give away too much, not to want too much, and just enjoy an interesting and attractive woman’s company. “I always feel like I’m in a cage strapped in with rows and rows of strangers.”

  “How about small planes?”

  “Not really fond of them.”

  “No, really small planes. Like a four-seater.”

  “No experience. You?”

  “I have a license,” Austin said. “I think it’s a lot like being a bird when you’re in a single-engine four-seater.”

  “I can sort of imagine that.”

  “We should go up sometime. You might like it.”

  Gem almost said yes and caught herself when her inner voice kicked in. Conversation was one thing—socializing was something else again. She didn’t do socializing. She had her fieldwork, her research, and her professional relationships to more than fill her days. She had a nice uncomplicated friendship with Kim for the occasional dinner or a movie or even less occasional sex. Come to think of it, there hadn’t really been any sex for quite some time. When had she stopped caring about that? But if she didn’t miss it, it really couldn’t be very important. Did she really want to complicate her life by spending time with someone new?

  “Sorry,” Austin said. “That probably seemed to come out of nowhere. It’s just when you mentioned birds, I immediately thought of flying.”

  “You don’t need to apologize.”

  Austin fell silent.

  Ordinarily Gem preferred silence—she loved being alone with her thoughts or hearing nothing but nature’s symphony. But she missed the earthy richness of Austin’s voice instantly. Or maybe she missed the connection that had developed so effortlessly she hadn’t had time to be wary. “Are you a good pilot?”

  “My father flew fighter jets in the Middle East. He taught me.” Austin glanced over, her eyes glinting in the reflected light from the dash like a hawk’s eyes catching the slanting rays of the setting sun as it swooped down over a field to grasp its prey. “I’m a damn good pilot.”

  “Do you have your own plane?”

  Austin hesitated, then nodded. “I do. A Cessna TTx.”

  “Uh-huh,” Gem said blankly.

  “Cruising speed two hundred and thirty-five knots, range twelve hundred nautical miles.” Austin’s tone was teasing.

  “Should I confess I’m completely ignorant of all things mechanical?”

  “It’s the eagle of single-engine aircraft. Imagine the majestic wingspan, the speed in flight,
the soaring power. Better?”

  “Much.” Warmth spread through Gem’s chest. She pushed the pleasure aside. Austin was just one of those people who knew how to charm. It wasn’t personal. “Why aren’t you flying it today?”

  “It’s a working getaway and I’m planning to hole up, mostly. The plane would just be sitting on the tarmac the whole time.” Another partial truth—the other part being she had no idea how long she’d be here or where she might have to go after this. She didn’t want to leave her plane at the local airport if she ended up flying cross-country.

  “So tell me about your work—you mentioned a deadline. Fiction?”

  “Actually I script and illustrate graphic novel adaptations.”

  “Really? What kinds?”

  “This one is a paranormal urban fantasy series.”

  Gem caught her breath. “That’s so cool. Which one?”

  Austin figured Gem was being polite—even her brother, who she’d thought would be interested, had written her work off as a weird hobby. Not high-profile enough, she guessed. Still, it was nice that Gem didn’t immediately change the subject.

  “The Guild Hunter Chronicles by—”

  “Audrey St. James. I love Ciri!”

  “You’ve read them?”

  “Oh yes, and a lot of others too. Would I know your work?”

  Austin laughed. “I doubt it. I think most of my readers are about fifteen and male.”

  “I bet you’re wrong. Give me a hint. No, wait. Let me guess.”

  “Hold that thought.” Austin narrowed her eyes at a flickering sign up ahead that appeared for a millisecond and just as quickly disappeared. “I think there’s a diner coming up. I could really use some food and fuel.”

  “Me too. But I’m not letting you off the hook.”

  “You like uncovering things, don’t you?” Austin eased toward the side of the road and pulled off into what felt like a bumpy gravel lot, although she couldn’t really make out the surface as she angled into an open place in front of a long aluminum-sided building that looked like a giant bullet. Lights glowed in a row of windows. An honest-to-God diner. She could’ve wept.

  “I’ve always loved secrets,” Gem said, “as long as I was in on them.”

  Austin turned off the motor. Too bad her secrets were ones she couldn’t share, especially not with a wildlife biologist whose number-one love was likely to be endangered by Austin’s employer in a matter of days. But who knew? So far the day had gone better than she could have imagined, despite the lousy weather and the delay. It had been months since she had spent this much time alone with a woman when they weren’t rushing to get to bed. The time with Gem had been more satisfying than most of those couplings. Maybe her luck would hold and the catastrophe would be contained by the time she arrived on Rock Hill Island.

  Chapter Three

  “Wow,” Gem said as she pushed through the steamy revolving-glass doors and glanced the length of the diner. The counter was lined with mostly solitary men hunched over heaping plates of food and big ceramic mugs of coffee. The booths were filled with an assortment of people who looked as if they were desperate travelers like her and Austin, looking for some light, warmth, and food. A few families, scattered couples, and the occasional lone elderly individual, probably a local, filled the rest of the places. “This place is jammed. Where are all the cars?”

  “I think they’re out there, you just can’t see them through the fog.” Austin pointed to a waitress clearing the table in the only empty booth and put her hand on Gem’s back. “Let’s grab that one.”

  Gem tensed at the unexpected touch and headed down the aisle, imagining she could feel the heat of Austin’s palm on her skin. Which of course, she couldn’t possibly. All the same, when they reached the booth and Austin moved away, she missed the fleeting contact. She must have been imagining the proprietary nature of the gesture too. Dismissing the flight of fancy with a flicker of inward irritation, she pulled off her windbreaker and hung it on the curved iron hook attached to one of the wooden poles rising from the end of each bench. She slid onto the red vinyl seat, and Austin settled across from her. Austin had shed her jacket before she began driving and hadn’t bothered to put it on when they stopped. The shoulders of her shirt were damp from mist that was quickly turning to rain. “Do you think we’re going to be able to make it today?”

  “I’m planning on it.” Austin pulled out her phone. She wasn’t just planning on it, she had to get to the coast and meet with Tatum. No matter what route she had to take. Well breaches were unpredictable. The whole scenario could change with every passing hour. The leak might already be contained, and she could turn around, once the weather cleared, and go home. That was the optimistic outlook. Or the breach could have widened and thousands of gallons of oil could be flooding the ocean right now. “If I can get a signal, I’ll check the weather. Maybe we can skirt around the front.”

  Gem pulled out her own phone and started scrolling. “I don’t see a wireless connection in the diner—no surprise there, since I’m not altogether sure we haven’t wandered into Brigadoon—” Austin chuckled and the warm, deep peal touched off an unexpected thrill of pleasure Gem couldn’t quite define. Whatever the source of the heat unfurling in her middle, it was nice. Kind of scary nice. “My cell signal is pretty iffy too. Like, there and gone again. Mostly gone.”

  “Same here,” Austin said grimly. Being out of contact had gotten to be a way of life. Some of the places she traveled for GOP, especially in Southeast Asia, did not have sophisticated broadband networks or any kind of cellular coverage. She was used to making decisions based on the info she had at hand, with or without input from the home front. That’s what they paid her for—to make decisions in the company’s interest. Their contract was a matter of trust, and her reputation, pride, and self-respect rested upon her upholding her duty to the company. Right now she was in the dark, and in the wind, and not a damn thing she could do about it. She slid her phone away. “Nothing to do but keep with the plan until we get some more intel. Then we’ll reassess.”

  Gem regarded her thoughtfully. “I’m on board with that.”

  A middle-aged brunette waitress appeared beside them in a tight black skirt, a low-cut silky white shirt that strained over full breasts, and a wraparound black nylon apron with deep pockets that held a pad, pens, a half dozen straws, and a handful of packets that were most likely sugar. “You two know what you’re having or do you want menus?”

  Gem said, “Coffee.”

  Her desperation must have showed because the waitress laughed, a deep earthy rumble that was unself-conscious and sexy all rolled into one. “Goes without saying.” She quirked an eyebrow at Austin. “You too?”

  “Absolutely. And scrambled eggs and toast.”

  “Got it. How about you, honey?” She directed her query to Gem, her eyes dancing and her generous mouth tilted into a teasing smile. “What have you got a hankering for?”

  “Uh…blueberry pancakes and poached eggs. And coffee.” Gem hoped she didn’t sound like an infatuated teenager, which was how she felt. God, what was with her today—first an innocent, casual touch from Austin awakened her long-dormant libido, and now the waitress in a diner turned her into a gawking adolescent?

  Still laughing, the waitress scrawled something on an old-fashioned order pad—no fancy computer terminals in sight—and headed toward the pass-through to the kitchen to hang their ticket on the line with half a dozen others.

  Gem rubbed her eyes and muttered, “It must be the fog. It’s done something to my mind.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Austin remarked drily. “She’s pretty hot.”

  “Stop.” Gem kept her eyes closed.

  Now Austin laughed. “Your secret lust for sexy waitresses is safe with me.”

  “Diners,” Gem said. “I love diners. Good plain food, lots of it, and fast service.”

  “And don’t forget the waitresses,” Austin added.

  “I won’t.” Opening
her eyes, Gem grinned. “Now stop trying to divert my attention. Back to the small matter of graphic novels. I don’t recognize your name, so I’m guessing you use a pseudonym.”

  “Twenty questions, huh?” Austin liked Gem’s persistence, and the spark in her eyes was captivating. She suspected whatever the object of Gem’s focus, she’d be relentless in her pursuit. For a heartbeat, she let herself imagine what that would be like—to have all of Gem’s contagious energy and intensity focused on her. As if she were all that mattered. That rarely happened to her—oh, she was used to being at the center of a woman’s attention, at least for the few moments when they played the game of chase and catch, but then she was always the chaser. Never the caught. Never, she suspected, the truly wanted.

  “I bet you’re really good at what you do,” Austin said.

  Gem’s brows rose. “I…I hope so. Why did you say that?”

  “You don’t give up—and you enjoy discovery. That drive to know, to understand, must be important for someone doing research.”

  “I can’t imagine why else anyone would do it,” Gem said. “Most of us spend years searching for an answer to a problem, and sometimes it never comes.”

  “But you don’t quit.”

  “Not yet,” Gem said lightly. “And you’re diverting again.”

  “Like I said—you don’t quit.” Austin smiled ruefully. Considering what might be waiting for them on Rock Hill Island, Gem’s quick, inquisitive nature might be problematic. Gem would be watching the same reports of maritime wind and ocean currents as Austin, only Gem would be tracking the approach of the migratory birds while she would be charting the potential direction of spread of an oil spill. They’d probably be in an unknowing race against time to see who discovered it first, unless the spill was so large by the time she arrived, the company would be forced to go public. If Tatum’s first-response team could get containment lines in place and trap the oil or redirect it up the coast away from the sanctuary, she might have a chance to keep the whole thing under wraps. Then the world would never know—just another mechanical failure that happened and was handled all the time. And most importantly, Gem would never know she’d been lying to her almost since the start. Sins of omission, but sins all the same.