Slate Mountain Man by Kate Gilead

Author:Kate Gilead [Gilead, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-05T16:00:00+00:00

The documentation process on the interior of all three buildings takes a couple hours or so. When we make our way outside, Trixie is waiting, laying in the shade and keeping watch over the place.

Jessie takes photos of the exterior of the buildings quickly. Happy to be done for the day, we climb back into the ATV in the late afternoon light.

Jessie’s chatting about the open-faced roast beef sandwiches she plans to make for dinner, making my stomach rumble in appreciation.

This time, I plan to take the nice, smooth gravel road and we’ll be back at the bunkhouse in minutes.

Just then my phone rings. The number seems familiar. “I’d better get this,” I say to Jess.

I recognize the voice immediately. It’s one of the engineers in the office of Public Roads and Works.

The terse voice speaks quickly, asking questions and giving information. I ask some questions of my own and listen intently.

It’s bad news. Very bad.

For them, that is.

For me though?

It’s kind of a fucking godsend. I can hardly believe it.

Normally I’d be livid about it because it means delays for my operations here.

But right now, I’m elated.

Ending the call, I turn to look at Jessie, who looks back at me expectantly. “What was that all about? Sounds like something bad happened.”

“Yes and no,” I turn to look at her. “That blast we heard? The rock fell the wrong way. The whole…the whole hillside landed smack on our road instead of falling down into the valley on the other side.”

“What? Oh, no. Was anyone hurt?”

“No. The workers were all well clear. That was an engineer from the municipality who called. He let me know what happened and made sure no one on my property was missing or injured.”

“Oh. So, what happens now?”

“They’ll bring in machinery and start clearing it tomorrow.”

“How long will it take to clear it? A couple hours at least, I guess?”

Laughing again, I shake my head. This is about the best thing that could have happened.

“No,” I reply. “It’ll be a week. Maybe two. There are megatons of shale, limestone and debris blocking the road leading back to Kamloops.”

“Blocking it? Entirely?”

“That’s what I was told. We can go take a look at it later I guess. It’s not like it’s going anywhere.” I let out a laugh.

“Someone in that blasting company’s in trouble now, no doubt,” she remarks. She looks at me wide-eyed. “Lucky no one was driving past.”

“No, they don’t allow anyone to pass until the blasting’s done,” I tell her. “Any traffic would have to wait, but it doesn’t take long.”

“Oh, right, that makes sense. So, it doesn’t sound too bad then.”

I can’t keep the smile off my face.

Because I don’t think what it means has quite sunk into her pretty head.

“It’s bad if you’re in a rush to get out of here,” I reply, turning to grin at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Remember? The main road is still the only way in or out of here.”

“Sure, but, couldn’t I go around the other way? There must be a road going around the long way? Right?”

“There is,” I allow.

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