Lucky 13
Chapter 1

The searing July Minnesota sun boiled the fresh tar to a pungent aroma. Hot rays parched dry the rutted sandy gravel sloping down into the ditches. The only hint of coolness was in the dark green shadows of the bordering pine forest. During their breaks Carolyn Creighton and Loretta Garner sat as close to the trees as they could get without disturbing a hoard of mosquitoes.

"Creighton. Garner. Back to work," Luke Stanford bellowed.
Cally swigged the last of her ice-cold pop, tossed the empty can in the plastic bag serving as a trash bin, picked up her hard hat, and rose to her feet. She nudged Loretta's shoulder. "Better do as he says."

Loretta pitched her can in the bag with Cally's. "Only because we want to keep our jobs not because we jump when he hollers," she complained, brushing down her jeans as she stood.

"Well, he is the boss," Cally said, tucking her golden hair beneath the bright orange hard hat. "Even if he doesn't give the impression he's the most pleasant man on this earth at times."

"He's never given me the impression that he's pleasant ever," Loretta groaned, putting on her own hard hat leaving an attractive array of jet-black curls displayed to emphasize her big brown eyes. "I suppose he figures he's better than all of us minions."

"Oh, I don't think that's the case," Cally argued, mainly to give her boss the benefit of the doubt. "He just wants to make sure we know who is boss."

"Creighton. Garner." Luke repeated his earlier command. "We need to move a rig. Can't do that with traffic coming through now can we?"

Loretta sighed loudly. "See you later," she drawled to Cally and strolled, almost insolently, past the approving male glances of the rest of the construction crew.

Cally rolled her wide green eyes at the undulating action Loretta put on for the men, knowing she could never wiggle her own blue-jeaned behind in the same tantalizing manner. And it wasn't because she didn't have a shapely behind to wiggle. She was actually slimmer, with a litheness Loretta didn't possess. Cally just knew she would never be able to summon up the nerve to walk by the men that way. However, she knew Loretta's action was meant to agitate Luke Stanford.

Cally preferred not to agitate him. His glare hurrying her on, she returned to her position along the highway. She was linked with radio control to Loretta. Each woman held a sign to turn alternatively from red Stop to yellow Slow to keep one lane of traffic flowing smoothly while the crew worked the heavy construction machinery in the other lane.

Loretta's instructions came over the radio and Cally switched her sign to Stop. A queue of vehicles accumulated behind the sign, sunshine glimmering on the long line of windshields gradually making them disappear into the heat haze on a distorted silver wave.

Traffic from Loretta's end rumbled past. Driving on the unsurfaced road was like bumping over a grating. People quivered inside their vehicles like jelly as they passed her, glaring at her impatiently. Cally ignored the glares. They had to take their frustration out on something after all. She kept her expression as bland as possible with, what she hoped was, a trace of a polite smile on her lips. But she did sympathize with their plight. Especially the people in cars without air-conditioning. She could do with a dose of air-conditioned air herself right now, she thought, easing her legs apart and adjusting her fingers around the sign post to make herself more comfortable. Perspiration had moistened her white T-shirt beneath a long-sleeved blue shirt. And even though her jeans were washed and faded to the softest denim she still felt as if she were wearing a suit of armor. Her hard hat, thick wool socks, and steel-toed work boots didn't help either, generating even more heat. At least, if she were a man she could strip to the waist and her gaze covertly moved to the first male in her sight range: Luke Stanford.

White hard hat rakishly tipped on his crisp black hair, sweat gleaming on muscled shoulders and back, he bent over a plan spread out on the flat bed of a truck. His jeans clung snugly to his thighs and calves, the cuffs tucked into dusty work boots. When he glanced up there were a number of sun-squint grooves creasing the skin from his straight, arrogant nose down to his narrow lips and square jaw.

Handsome in a granite-hard, entirely masculine way, Luke Stanford certainly played his role of Boss to perfection. Unless he yelled, "Creighton get back to work," or "Creighton take the first truck out to the site," he had never spoken to Cally. During her four-week sojourn on the crew he had remained elusive and basically unapproachable, his maleness and standoffish attitude confirming Cally's opinion that all facets of engineering and construction would probably remain solely a man's domain until the end of time. With a few exceptions like herself. She was out here gaining experience before she began her job with her brother, Kevin's construction company in the fall. Cally observed Luke straighten and flex his shoulders. He rolled the plan, tossed it aside on the truck, wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm, and reached for a blue check shirt hanging from the truck door handle. He shrugged into the shirt leaving the buttons open.

Cally lowered her gaze. She didn't want to be caught staring at Luke. Although it was difficult to tell if he knew whether she might be looking at him or not with his eyes covered by dark glasses. Screeching brakes and the crunch of huge tires made her look in the same direction once again. Shouts erupted from the men as they all ran toward the commotion. Loretta instructed Cally to stop the traffic her end. Cally did so immediately and stood on tiptoe to try and peer over the heads of the men but she couldn't see much because everyone was crowded around a lopsided yellow grader someone had driven into the dusty ditch.

"What's going on?" she asked Loretta over the radio.

"Dunno," Loretta said. "Stanford barked, stop all traffic both ends. Naturally, he didn't stick around long enough for me to ask. It appears someone is hurt."

Cally gazed in horror as Rick Martin, an engineering student working for the summer, was helped up the slope by Karl and Luke. She saw Rick touch his temple and she noticed he was bleeding.

"What's happened?" she called to Don Tulson who was the man standing closest to her. Don pushed back his hat. "The grader lost its brakes. Rick threw himself out of the way, tripped, and hit his head on a rock."

Don, tall and bony with dark hair and beard, turned away after imparting this piece of information. Cally had never found Don particularly communicative anyway. He was Karl Persak's pal, but he didn't share Karl's jovial outlook on life. Yet Don's appearance of muscular deficiency was deceiving. He was strong. Cally often saw him swing heavy road making equipment around as if it were only the weight of a feather.

She noticed Karl climb into the driver's seat of his truck. Loretta, to Cally's surprise, jumped in the other side. It seemed Patrick Brown was holding her flag. Luke then helped Rick in beside Loretta. Luke spoke a few words, slammed the door, and Karl drove off.

Cally felt slightly put out. How did Loretta rate going with Karl? Secretly thinking Karl was gorgeous, she wouldn't have minded helping Karl herself. He had a bonus of good looks. His eyes were like brown velvet, his skin tanned to gold like his hair. His jeans and shirts always strained over the well-developed muscles of his stocky build.
Luke's expression was thunderous when he looked at them all. "Back to work," he shouted. "Tulson take over from Brown and do Garner's job."

Beast, Cally thought. Didn't he care about an injured worker? But she didn't have time to worry whether he did or not. Horn honks sounded in rotation from the stream of traffic behind her sign. Muttering under her breath, Cally turned her sign to let them through, at the same time looking at the heavy yellow grader halfway down the sandy ditch.
Luke prowled around giving the grader careful, narrow-eyed scrutiny. Cally understood how he must feel. The road-making project was being run by his own company. Personal injury was his liability. Although she was sure he had insurance to cover such mishaps, the same as her brother did. Even so, his machinery, whether owned or leased, had to be in top working order. His anger was probably aimed at the situation of the accident, and he probably did care about what happened to Rick. For some reason she felt uncharitable about her earlier defamation of him. It seemed as if it had been unwarranted. There was an almost resigned slump to Luke's broad shoulders. She felt the desire to drop her sign and rush over to comfort him. It was a desire she couldn't understand at all. Why should she feel that way about a man she couldn't care less about, a man she'd never had any personal contact with? Instead of puzzling over her feelings any longer, she turned her concern to Rick, hoping he wasn't too badly hurt. She rather liked Rick. Probably because he was young and didn't have fixed ideas like some of the other men. He didn't mind women on the construction site for one.

She saw Luke moving toward her and her body stiffened.

He said, "Creighton. As Martin isn't here, would you dismount the signs tonight?"

"Sure," she said.

He handed her the keys to the truck. "Know how to drive?"

"Of course."

It took Cally half an hour to collect all the construction warning signs and markers and load them into the back of the truck. By the time she returned to Luke with the truck, he was alone, sitting on a boulder, the rest of the men gone.

"Where's Vince?" Cally asked, referring to the man she usually rode with.
Luke rose to his feet. "He's gone into Echo Bay to visit some friends this evening." The deep timbre of his voice contained a slight huskiness. "I told him I'd make sure you got back to the motel safely."

Cally realized for the first time in the month she had worked for Luke they were actually having face to face conversations. "And Loretta went with Karl," Cally remarked, wishing afterwards she hadn't spoken because she saw Luke's mouth narrow. He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you've got a crush on Karl as well, Creighton."

"Oh, no," she protested. She didn't think she had a crush, just appreciation of a nice looking man.

"Every woman falls for Karl at first sight, it's natural."

"I haven't fallen for Karl," she said.

"Good. I don't want any hanky panky on the construction crew. We have enough problems getting the job to bed, not to mention accidents like the one this afternoon."

"Do you think Rick will be okay?" Cally asked. She found Luke overpowering at close range. His shoulders were wide enough to block out the sun.

Luke nodded. "I think he'll be fine. It was only a superficial wound. As long as he hasn't suffered concussion."

"Did he hit his head hard enough for that?"

"He didn't think so. Looked worse than it was I believe. But he was shaken up." He walked around the truck. "Let's get going."

Cally caught him up and handed him his keys. "You'll need these to get back to the motel."

His rough fingers brushed hers and to stop the thrill she experienced, she took off her hat.
Her hair tumbled to her shoulders in a silky golden mass and she felt Luke's eyes upon her hair, then their gazes met. Luke, for once, wasn't wearing sunglasses and she saw close up, his eyes were a deep pewter color. Warmer than she would have expected. Pulling her gloves from her back pocket she stuffed them into the crown of the hat and climbed into the truck.

As he adjusted himself in his seat, she watched him. First he wedged his white hard hat between the seats, then he raked his rich black hair with his fingers until it sprang to wavy life. She saw the stretch of denim against his thighs, and the pull of muscle beneath his shirt as he leaned forward to turn the key in the ignition, and she had to clench her fists to stop herself from reaching to touch him. Karl might be good looking superficially but Luke had enough overall animal magnetism to make Cally's heart beat faster than normal.

Cally had no idea why she should feel this way. She didn't know Luke Stanford. This was the first time she had been with him intimately. Intimately? Was this an intimate encounter? Of course not. She was merely driving back to the motel with Luke because Rick had been injured and she'd had to stay to do the signs. Events had been different today, that's all. Yet, although the truck's engine was revving, Luke wasn't driving. He was gazing at her, giving her features a thorough inspection as if noticing for the first time, the loose swing of her gold hair, the matching eyebrows arching above eyes of the deepest green, like the mystery of the ocean. Her nose had a slight upturn that joined her mouth in an ever-present, semi-smile-- a look giving the impression she was in a continuous state of happiness --which was probably close to the truth. Cally couldn't recall ever really being unhappy in her life.

Beginning to feel awkward under his examination, Cally dropped her glance. Noting her action, Luke reached for the ignition once more as if forgetting he had already started the engine.
"So how's the job going?" he asked as they began moving.

"Oh, fine," she responded, commanding her voice not to shake. She didn't know what was happening to her. She didn't like the feeling. She felt trapped in the cab of the truck with this man. Sunlight skittered off the tops of the trees and flickered a white-hot glare upon the windshield. The cab was vibrantly warm. Cally had to squint to see Luke clearly.
"I hope you're not finding the work too hard or the days too hot. If so, say so."

"I'm finding it just fine," Cally said firmly after hearing a faint derision in Luke's voice. A few years back, when she had made her decision to go to college to study Civil Engineering, she had put up with a great deal of unfavorable reaction from her family. The only person who hadn't been truly against her was her older sister, Esther, whom she currently lived with. To prove to everyone they were wrong, Cally was determined to make a success of the journey toward her new career. Her brother, Kevin, realizing Cally was now serious, had been kind enough to offer her a job to get her started and give her some experience. Cally had thought working on a highway construction site would be another mark of experience.

"You sound very positive," Luke said, reaching in his chest pocket for his sunglasses, which he put on.

"I am positive. This is what I want."

"To work as a flagger, or the Civil Engineering Degree?"

He must have read her application form. It gave Cally another strange sensation to think of him reading all the details she had written about herself when she applied for this summer job. "The degree, of course," she said, her fingers playing nervously with the rim of her hard hat. She fiddled with one of her softened, worn, leather gloves. "I have the degree now. I also have a job to start in September. But I enjoy the flagging. It's a new experience."

"Good. I used to quite enjoy it. I've worked all my summers out on the highway since I was a teenager."

Cally was quite surprised he had served a similar apprenticeship. "Was it long ago?" she couldn't help asking.

"When I was a teen?"

She smiled. "Well, yes, I suppose."

"Eight years since I turned twenty-one," Luke said with a slight amused raise of his brows. "I'm a good deal older than you."

"No, you're not. I'm twenty-six," Cally said. "I didn't go to college right away. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I worked a lot of part time clerical jobs before I began studying."

"But why Civil Engineering?" Luke rested his arm on the edge of the open window. He hadn't bothered with the air-conditioning.

"I wanted something different. And then all the men in my family are engineers."

"And the women?"

"My sister is a department store fashion consultant. My mother looks after home and family. She had no alternative with five children."

"You make it sound as if she was in some kind of trap."

Cally shook her head. "No. Not at all. My mother raised us wonderfully. It's what she wanted."

"Her choice?" He smiled.

Cally nodded, feeling the impact of his smile. It gave her the same tremulous sensation as before. He really was good looking when he smiled. The hard gravelly look he wore on his features most of the time certainly didn't display the thrust of his personality. "And this is my choice."

"I hope this career is a success then," he said.

Cally caught disapproval in his voice. "You sound as if you feel I haven't made a particularly good choice." She tried to hide the fact her emotions concerning Luke were undulating in mountainous swoops from sheer mesmerism to scorn.

"I don't like women on the crew, just because they tend to get involved with the men and vice versa. In some ways though, having women present, lessens the edge that can develop between men. Anyway, what I think doesn't relate to the reality. We have to hire women if they apply."

"At least you're honest," she said with a coolness in her voice. His attitude was as she had expected. His actions over the past four weeks had proved it. She didn't know why the reality disappointed her so.

Luke looked at her. "Yeah, I'm honest. That's the only way to be Creighton."

"I agree with you there," she said softly.

Luke drove the truck into the parking lot of the Tall Pines Motor Hotel. Tall Pines was beginning to feel like home now. The strip of doors to the motel units accessed by a wood boardwalk, and the restaurant and small store built in the style of a mountain chalet with peaked roofs. Behind the motel was Echo Lake, with picnic facilities and a swimming beach.

When Luke stopped the truck Cally opened the door and hopped down from her seat. She saluted thank you to Luke, the same way she would salute Vince or any other man who drove her. There was no reason why Luke should be treated differently, even if he was the boss. That Cally felt different after the short drive was another matter. She was oddly elated as her heavy boots clomped along the walkway and she dug into her shirt pocket for her room key.

She shared the unit with Loretta but she was surprised to find Loretta already there resting on her bed.

"I thought you would still be at the hospital," Cally said, pulling the gold hopsack drapes across the window. The interior of the motel didn't quite match the charm of the exterior. Like any motel room, the furniture was mismatched and cheap. But there were two armchairs and a table by the window, where she could write letters or read. Loretta never seemed to do either. TV was her entertainment and she ran up a huge bill of pay-to-view movies. Cally often fell asleep to Arnie or Sly's voice. "How's Rick?"

Loretta heaved herself up on her elbow and brushed aside heavy black curly bangs. "He's okay. He was checked at the hospital, no stitches, and when we came back he went into the restaurant for a beer. So I figure he's cured."

"Great." With relief Cally stripped off her heavy clothes. She left them in a pool on the floor and slipped an oversize white T-shirt over her head. "Who was driving the grader that went out of control?"

"Karl. He was pretty shaken up, but he was pleased Rick wasn't seriously hurt. He said he'd buy Rick his beer for the rest of the summer."

"That's nice of him," Cally remarked. "Although he shouldn't blame himself. It was purely an accident." "Exactly what I told Karl, but he feels it could have been worse and he's been spared as well as Rick. Karl was pretty jumpy about it."

"Understandable," Cally told her. "It's frightening."

"It sure was. We were all shaking in the truck. Rick was the one who told us to calm down. Anyway, it turned out okay. So who drove you back?" Loretta asked.

"Stanford."

"Did he speak?" Loretta looked interested.

"Of course he spoke. He's quite nice, almost human." She grinned. "But we're right. He doesn't approve of women on the crew but he doesn't have any choice."

"That was obvious from the start. I'm not surprised. He's a big macho man. Not that I don't like macho men." Loretta grinned.

"You wouldn't watch all those action movies if you didn't," Cally retorted.

"I wouldn't be on a construction gang if I didn't," Loretta said. "I like my men to be men not wimps."

"Well, Luke is certainly no wimp," Cally said firmly.

"Did he make a pass?"

"No way. He's the boss."

"That doesn't make any difference." Loretta picked up her clock, stared at the time, and scampered from the bed. "Go have your shower, Cally. Karl wants us to sit with the guys for dinner tonight. He thinks we should all be one big happy family."

"Did he invite me as well?"

"Yes, he did. That's what he means. One big happy family."

"Well, I suppose I have to then, don't I?"

"Yes. You have to. We've been here for ages and we hardly know the guys. Cally, we're surrounded by men. We should make the most of the opportunity. I'm beginning to bore out."

"But I don't feel we should fool around. It's not good business practice."

"We can at least be friends with them," Loretta said. "Cally, don't be a prude. Surely you feel attracted to one or two of the men."

Cally didn't want to mention Karl. If Loretta was interested in Karl she didn't want to cause a feud that really had no substance. Cally's interest in Karl was purely aesthetic. She also thought about Luke, but dismissed him. He wasn't a man to be interested in, not in the way Loretta meant. "Can't say I do," Cally said, rolling clean underwear, a pink cotton shirt, and a pair of white jeans beneath her arm.

"Well, then, dinner will be fun." Loretta sounded put out.

"I don't mind going for dinner," Cally protested. "I just don't think we should get too close."

"But think of our chances," Loretta grinned. "Two women twelve men. Heaven."

"Unlucky thirteen," Cally reminded her. "You've forgotten to include Stanford in the men."

Loretta made a face. "I don't count him. He's probably married with x number of children, a dog, a house in the burbs, where he keeps his wife barefoot."

Cally felt uneasy about that scenario. "I don't think he's married, Loretta."

"Did he tell you?"

"No. But I get the impression he's not. Vince is the only one married, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's married. He's a friend of my Dad's. The reason I got the job."

"You never told me that."

"Well, you know, I don't want to feel favored. But now you do, so go get ready."

Cally closed herself in the white tiled room, showered, and dressed in her fresh clothes. She dried her golden hair until it was once more silky clean, and slipped her gold chain with the little "C" initial around her neck. She preened for a moment, liking the deep tan she was getting. Then she gazed at herself more critically. What had Luke seen when he'd looked at her for so long in the truck? Had he seen a woman who attracted him? Or was he married and had he seen her as merely a nuisance, a possible problem on the crew?

Cally returned to the bedroom and pushed her soiled clothes aside for washing into one of the supplied plastic bags. Laundry was handled on a daily basis by the motel staff. Stanford Construction paid all expenses, plus meals.

Loretta had wriggled into extra tight blue jeans. Both women slipped their feet into comfortable sandals, picked up their purses, and walked outside. The sun was still bright but there was a delicious breeze. They took their time strolling across the paved motel court to the restaurant, making the most of the resonant cooler air.

There were a handful of tourists and single-night motel guests eating in the dining room, but their own gang took up most of the space in the right-hand corner. The room was air-conditioned with dark beams crossing the low ceiling and walls, the floor carpeted deep maroon. Cloths of ruby red draped square tables surrounded by heavy oak chairs.

Cally usually found the atmosphere relaxing, especially when she shared a window table with Loretta. But tonight, as they drew close to Karl's table, she felt tension stringing across the air. Rick's straight blond hair framed his face and he looked very pale with a plaster covering his right eyebrow. Karl was holding court, lecturing Rick on how to look out for his safety while working on a construction site.

"Don't you think Rick has been through enough?" Don Tulson said as the two women sat down.

Loretta sat opposite Karl and Cally sat next to her, opposite Don with a spare chair beside her.

Karl only gave the women a cursory smile as he kept on talking to Don. "He might have been killed. Next time he'll take care."

"You were driving the thing, Persak," Don said. "You saw him there."

"I didn't see him right away and I've explained the brakes failed. How many more times? Anyway, let's cool it. Rick's survived. How are you girls?"

"We're fine," Loretta purred.

Cally hated being called girls. "How are you feeling, Rick?" she asked, ignoring Karl. He might be good to look at on the outside but she wasn't too sure she liked his personality.

Rick touched the plaster on his forehead and grinned. "Great now."

"No concussion?" Cally inquired about Luke's anxiety.

"No. Luckily."

Karl intervened. "Let's get this show on the road, kids. Order dinner. That's what we're here for."

Luke might be strict and run the crew to his agenda, Cally thought as she decided to order the grilled chicken, baked potato, a side salad, and a large glass of apple juice, but he wasn't bossy in the sense Karl was. Karl took over the situation and relegated everyone to be his followers.

"Is this seat taken?"

Cally was so shocked to see Luke, and even more shocked he wanted to sit beside her, that the menu slithered out of her hands, onto her lap, where she tried to capture it, but it was too glossy. It hit the floor at Luke's feet.

He picked up the menu and placed it squarely on the table in front of her. "Lost something."

My brain, she thought, meeting his smile. "Thank you."

Stacey, the waitress said to Cally. "What do you want?"

Cally gave her order, hearing her voice shake.

"Is that it?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Well, is this seat taken?" A half-smile tugged around Luke's mouth as he repeated the question.

"No." Cally automatically moved her body closer to Loretta to give him room to sit. She could see interest from the men over the interaction between her and Luke.

Luke lowered himself into the chair. He had changed his clothes for a pair of supple blue jeans, a short sleeved navy knit shirt, and white trainers. Cally felt the same, slightly thrilled, sort of elated, but strangely lighthearted, unreal sensation she had experienced earlier in his presence.

"What's good to eat?" Luke asked her, not bothering to open the menu. He looked instead at the nightly specials written in chalk on a blackboard. "Who's having the chicken?"

"I am," Cally said. "I had it last week. It was good."

"Then I'll go with the chicken as well, and a large Coke," he told Stacey.

Stacey liked the men. She gave them all big-eyed blue smiles and wriggled her hips provocatively beneath her pale blue waitress smock. Cally thought she was pretty. Soft really, with blonde hair she wore drawn back from her even features in a pony tail.

Luke shifted in his chair after giving his order and Cally inhaled sandalwood aftershave from his freshly shaved skin. Luke's thigh was merely inches from her own, his bare arm, with its smattering of dark hair, prickled hers when he reached for his glass of water. He wore no wedding ring.

When his pop arrived, he drank from the large glass and said, "That's good," with a smile in Cally's direction, almost as if they were together. Then he inquired about Rick's injury and looked at Karl. "So how's it going with you, Persak?" he asked. "Not shaken up over the accident, I hope?"

Cally thought Karl seemed a little reserved now Luke was here. He said quite politely, "Well, it was a scare, but I'm recovering with these lovely women sharing our table."

"Yeah, you got a bonus this year, didn't you?" Luke glanced at Cally. "If I were you two women, I wouldn't take anything Karl says seriously."

Loretta fluttered her sooty lashes at Luke and said in a husky drawl, "Don't worry, Mr. Stanford. We can take care of ourselves. Can't we Cally?"

Cally nodded. "Yes. We're fine. Karl's chat runs off our backs like water off a duck's." She wasn't quite sure why she said what she did, but she just knew with Luke beside her she didn't feel very clear headed. "We're here to work. Just like all you men."

"We have a feminist in our midst boys," Luke said.

Cally wished this conversation hadn't begun. "I'm not a feminist. But I believe in equality."

"I do as well, but I'm also aware of the realities," Luke said. "Men and women have one thing on their minds."

"Well, I don't," Cally said firmly. "I'm here to work."

Luke raised an eyebrow at her.

Cally was pleased at that moment the food orders arrived. The conversation between Cally and Luke was forgotten in the foray for each person to receive the correct plate of food. Soon everyone began eating hungrily. Cally noticed Luke extended what she thought was ritualistic behavior to eating. He tipped his bowl of salad on the plate alongside the chicken and baked potato. He added salt and pepper and Italian dressing liberally to his salad, then he broke the roll in half and buttered it.

She felt like asking him if he ever rushed anything and just dug in. Like kissing a woman for instance. Her cheeks flamed as she chewed on some chicken. Now what was she thinking? Luke hadn't given her any reason to think that way. Unless the feelings she had experienced in his truck, even now with him beside her, were an indication she was attracted to him.

"Hey, Creighton," Karl said suddenly when everyone had more or less finished their meal. "Let's have some more noise from your side."

Karl elicited crazy talk, and Cally felt the need to be crazy. Luke was making her feel far too serious. "I was trained not to speak with my mouth full and my mouth has been full the last little while. What do you want me to do? Dance on the table?"

Karl grinned. "Dancing on the table sounds great, doesn't it, guys? We could do with some excitement around this joint. Card games get boring unless we're playing strip..."

"Persak, shut up," Luke burst out suddenly, startling them all. "There will be nothing like that while we're working here. I hire women to get the job done, as Creighton said earlier. They are not here for your amusement, Karl, and that goes for you women. I've said it before. The men aren't here for your enjoyment."

"What about you?" Loretta asked impudently.

Cally wanted to cringe at the question. Luke's eyebrows were drawn together in a deep frown.

"What about me?" His tone was almost a growl.

"Are you here for our pleasure?"

Loretta emphasized the word, pleasure, making it sound distinctly naughty. Everyone tried to control laughter. Cally figured the entire scene was caused by leftover tension from Rick's afternoon accident. She could feel the rage emanating from Luke. His large body was hard with restraint. She knew, if they burst out laughing at him, Luke would explode and who only knew what might happen then. Life on the crew might not be worth living.

"I am most definitely not, Garner. I'm here to control you. I thought you were all supposed to be adults." He pushed back his chair and rose abruptly to his feet. "If I see or hear of anything untoward, the person, or persons involved will be out of here pronto. And I mean it. Goodnight."

Cally swivelled in her seat to watch Luke stride from the restaurant without a backward glance. Watching him leave, she felt the similar strange torn feeling she should be racing after him as she had this afternoon when she had wanted to comfort him after Rick's accident.

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