She dodged another large stand of greasewood and rabbit brush that displayed bright green new growth. She walked from one side of the ridge to another in a weaving pattern, trying to cover all ground. To the west the ridge started dropping away to a deep canyon. She could see why this might be a good place for those giant windmills. It was windy on this ridge.
How could Tillie have disappeared so quickly?
Fiona stopped at the edge of the drop off and peered down into the canyon. Basalt rim rock dropped straight down to the valley floor below. Tumbled rock and narrow ledges would make it impossible to climb into the canyon. She continued along the edge where the rock surface gave decent footing. Finally, she stopped hands on hips. She was stumped. There was no use going on. She had probably missed Tillie, who by now might be back at her truck wondering how she was going to get out.
Fiona turned around. Behind her not one hundred feet away stood Tillie and a man in a hard hat, holding some kind of gear. They were watching her. They had given her a bit of a start, but she recovered quickly. She waved and took a step toward them.
Tillie was stone-faced. The man beside her, who was regular height and on the heavy side, gave a slight nod of the head and what might pass as a smile.
“It looks like we decided to take the same walk today,” said Fiona, hoping to lighten the atmosphere that had started to build up energy like a storm brewing.
“I’m not out for a walk,” said Tillie. “I’m showing this man the ridge. He’s going to do an evaluation for a wind farm.”
“I see,” said Fiona. The subject was on the table. She didn’t know how much she should press for information. There was an awkward silence. So Fiona said, “What does this man say?”
Tillie spoke for the man, who didn’t seem in any hurry to join the conversation. “This is the first time he’s been up here. It’s too early to say. He’s just fact collecting today.” Tillie looked away then looked back again at Fiona. “Why did you follow us up here?”
Fiona decided to play it straight. “I wondered what you were doing up on my knoll.”
“It isn’t your knoll.”
“It is. Opal deeded the place to me. It involves about five acres on the end of this beautiful ridge. So I guess I have some say on the wind farm since the right away is across my land.”
Tillie scowled. “Opal never told me that. You’re lying.”
Fiona narrowed her eyes. “I guess you aren’t privy to everything that happens in Opal’s life or on this land. I am not lying, and I don’t like being called a liar.”
The man held up his hand. “If you ladies will excuse me, I need to get back to work, and I’ll need a ride out of here to do that. I don’t want to get involved in a family squabble.”
“This isn’t a family squabble,” said Tillie. “This person doesn’t even belong in the family. She’s just visiting.”
The man said, “At any rate, I’ve seen enough. I can get the rest of the information I need on the internet.” He turned and walk in the direction of the bunkhouse ruins.
Tillie didn’t. She advanced toward Fiona, came to within five feet of her and said in a low, hissing voice, “You better butt out of this. I think it is time for you to pack and leave. You’ve caused enough trouble.”
Fiona bristled. There was something about Tillie that could make even a saint angry. “I haven’t caused any trouble. But you are.”
Tillie’s hands clenched at her sides. She looked like she was going to take a swing at Fiona. “I’ll thank you to butt out of family business. If you don’t, something worse than that crummy old bunkhouse burning down might happen.”
“Are you threatening me?” asked Fiona, not wavering an inch.
“Take it any way you like it. But I’m warning you to get the hell out and take that half-breed with you.” With that she spun around and hurried to catch up with the engineer or whatever he was.
Fiona crossed her arms and watched Tillie leave. A rock bounced down the slope behind her, and she looked back. She wasn’t but five or six feet from the edge. She was glad Tillie had restrained herself and not swung. They both might have ended up coyote food at the bottom of that canyon.
Jake pulled in behind Fiona’s truck. Tillie was standing by hers, looking around like she was trying to decide how to leave. Until he and Fiona moved their rigs there wasn’t anywhere for Tillie to go since she was hemmed in by rocks and thick brush on both sides of the narrow lane.
He wasn’t looking for a confrontation, but Tillie looked like she was ready for one. He opened the door and eased out, knowing he couldn’t postpone the inevitable bad scene. All his scenes were bad with Tillie. It was a given.
He didn’t bother saying hello. “What’s up, Tillie?” he asked instead. “Are you here to see Opal? She’s gone to town for a treatment.” He knew darn well she wasn’t there to see Opal, that she knew where Opal was.
“I need to leave,” Tillie said. “Get these rigs out so I can leave.”
Jake checked Fiona’s truck. She had left the keys under the floor mat. He could back hers out as easily as he could his. But he wasn’t going to unblock Tillie’s retreat until he had more information.
“Where’s Fiona?” Jake said.
Tillie motioned with her head. “She’s still up on the ridge. We saw her up there.”
Jake looked up. Fiona was standing near the lone tree. She saw him and waved. Jake breathed a silent sigh of relief that nothing had happened to her. Tillie was such a loose cannon, you never knew.
“Did you lose something, or are you out for a day of sightseeing?” said Jake.
A man came around the back of Tillie’s truck and introduced himself. He and Jake shook hands. “I work for a wind power company. Tillie gave me a call about this site. We’re interested so I came out to take a look. I’m confused about the ownership of this property.”
Jake looked at Tillie.
She squirmed at little and said, “I told him that I needed a proposal to present to my aunt who might be interested. That’s all.”
Fiona arrived to join the conversation.
The wind power man motioned to Fiona. “This lady said she owns the right away to the ridge.”
Jake smiled in spite of himself. Leave it to Fiona to figure out the sticking points in any dilemma. And my, she did look good. When did she ever not look good?
Fiona said, “I pointed out that the only easy way to get to the rest of the ridge is through my five acres.”
“I’ll ask Opal about that,” said Tillie. “I can’t believe she’d give away a valuable piece of property to a stranger.”
Fiona’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I earned that piece of property fair and square.”
“I don’t believe a word you say.”
“It’s the truth,” said Jake. “I was there.”
The wind power man said, “I hate to disturb this family dispute, interesting though it may be, but I’m late for another appointment. My rig is at the highway, so can someone take me out there? You can continue your argument without me.”
“I’ll take you,” said Tillie.
“No problem,” said Jake. “We’ll back out the rigs.”