Blaine," she told him. "It doesn't appear to me that you're in medical distress." She paused, looking innocent. "In fact, last night you made sure to demonstrate to me you were in top physical form."
His face reddened. "I never said I was having medical distress, but that doesn't make the situation any less urgent."
"It doesn't?" Obviously, the man had never experienced a true medical emergency.
"Listen." His one-eyed gaze went steely. "I run a company with a budget of a hundred million dollars a year. Perhaps never having dealt with that much money, you can't imagine the responsibility that comes with it. I have to get to L.A. before everything starts to fall apart."
"Because you aren't there."
"That's right." He continued the steely look.
Kate had thought of this problem. She didn't want anybody hurt — anybody besides Griffith Blaine, that was. "Correct me if I'm wrong," she said to him now. "But in your company with its multi-million dollar budget, you must employ people, manager sort of people. People who do the actual, day-to-day business?" She cocked her head.
His skin reddened again, conceding the point, even as he claimed, "I'm crucial."
Smiling, Kate shook her head. "This isn't an emergency and you can't use my phone."
"You — " His jaw flexed. "I'm using it. Where is the damn thing?"
"I've got ten teenagers waiting for me on the front quad. If I don't get out there soon they'll find some kind of trouble. Have a nice day, Mr. Blaine."
"The f — You can't keep me here, Darby."
"Who said anything about keeping you?" Kate shot him another innocent expression. Ah, but this was the beauty of her plan. She wasn't keeping him against his will. She simply wasn't easing his departure. "You're free to leave any time you want."
He gave her a disbelieving look.
Kate pointed toward the north. "The path down the mountain is at the edge of camp that way. It's five miles to the bottom. Bert Lebow has a cabin there but he doesn't have a telephone, I'm afraid. Nor a car. If you want any of those, it's an easy ten-mile hike across the plateau to Sagebrush Valley City. I believe there's a pay phone at the mini-mart there."
Griffith's face was growing very red, but Kate had to hand it to him. He didn't explode. He just stood there glaring at her with his one functioning eye. "Why?" he demanded. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Kate shifted her gaze. She doubted there was any point trying to explain. Mr. Blaine would never agree with her that her campers were more important than his big, fancy company.
He made a sound of disgust. "It's because of last night, isn't it? Look, I'm sorry , okay? I didn't intend to flash you. All I was trying to do was keep you from falling over. Is that a crime?"
"Oh, boy." Kate was amazed. "I'm supposed to be thanking you?" But an uncomfortable doubt slipped into her mind. Surely it wasn't that brief encounter with Griffith's naked body that was inspiring her present course of action? No. She hadn't cared about that . She only cared that his problems weren't as severe as her campers.'
He uttered a low expletive. "Look, I'll make one call and get someone to pick me up from here. You'll never have to see my offensive self again."
Kate looked away, not wanting him to know how tempting it was. But she couldn't let down her campers. They needed Griffith's over-eighteen-years-of-age warm body on the property. At least, they needed it there until she could find somebody to replace him.
"No," she said.
Griffith took in a deep breath, and let it out with an explosive, "Fine!" He took a step back. "Just fine. I don't need your stupid telephone anyway."
He didn't? For an instant Kate worried. Did he intend to try climbing down the hill by himself? He might even make it, despite the multiplicity of cut-offs and intersecting fire roads. "Good," she replied, acting like she'd have no problem if he did leave and hike all the way to Sagebrush Valley City. "That's fine, then."
"Fine, yes. It's all
His face reddened. "I never said I was having medical distress, but that doesn't make the situation any less urgent."
"It doesn't?" Obviously, the man had never experienced a true medical emergency.
"Listen." His one-eyed gaze went steely. "I run a company with a budget of a hundred million dollars a year. Perhaps never having dealt with that much money, you can't imagine the responsibility that comes with it. I have to get to L.A. before everything starts to fall apart."
"Because you aren't there."
"That's right." He continued the steely look.
Kate had thought of this problem. She didn't want anybody hurt — anybody besides Griffith Blaine, that was. "Correct me if I'm wrong," she said to him now. "But in your company with its multi-million dollar budget, you must employ people, manager sort of people. People who do the actual, day-to-day business?" She cocked her head.
His skin reddened again, conceding the point, even as he claimed, "I'm crucial."
Smiling, Kate shook her head. "This isn't an emergency and you can't use my phone."
"You — " His jaw flexed. "I'm using it. Where is the damn thing?"
"I've got ten teenagers waiting for me on the front quad. If I don't get out there soon they'll find some kind of trouble. Have a nice day, Mr. Blaine."
"The f — You can't keep me here, Darby."
"Who said anything about keeping you?" Kate shot him another innocent expression. Ah, but this was the beauty of her plan. She wasn't keeping him against his will. She simply wasn't easing his departure. "You're free to leave any time you want."
He gave her a disbelieving look.
Kate pointed toward the north. "The path down the mountain is at the edge of camp that way. It's five miles to the bottom. Bert Lebow has a cabin there but he doesn't have a telephone, I'm afraid. Nor a car. If you want any of those, it's an easy ten-mile hike across the plateau to Sagebrush Valley City. I believe there's a pay phone at the mini-mart there."
Griffith's face was growing very red, but Kate had to hand it to him. He didn't explode. He just stood there glaring at her with his one functioning eye. "Why?" he demanded. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Kate shifted her gaze. She doubted there was any point trying to explain. Mr. Blaine would never agree with her that her campers were more important than his big, fancy company.
He made a sound of disgust. "It's because of last night, isn't it? Look, I'm sorry , okay? I didn't intend to flash you. All I was trying to do was keep you from falling over. Is that a crime?"
"Oh, boy." Kate was amazed. "I'm supposed to be thanking you?" But an uncomfortable doubt slipped into her mind. Surely it wasn't that brief encounter with Griffith's naked body that was inspiring her present course of action? No. She hadn't cared about that . She only cared that his problems weren't as severe as her campers.'
He uttered a low expletive. "Look, I'll make one call and get someone to pick me up from here. You'll never have to see my offensive self again."
Kate looked away, not wanting him to know how tempting it was. But she couldn't let down her campers. They needed Griffith's over-eighteen-years-of-age warm body on the property. At least, they needed it there until she could find somebody to replace him.
"No," she said.
Griffith took in a deep breath, and let it out with an explosive, "Fine!" He took a step back. "Just fine. I don't need your stupid telephone anyway."
He didn't? For an instant Kate worried. Did he intend to try climbing down the hill by himself? He might even make it, despite the multiplicity of cut-offs and intersecting fire roads. "Good," she replied, acting like she'd have no problem if he did leave and hike all the way to Sagebrush Valley City. "That's fine, then."
"Fine, yes. It's all
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