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Tell me what you want, Isadora. Use your words.

I pictured Hudson standing at the microphone, those broad shoulders filling my little recording space, his deep voice wrapping itself around every word.

I sat down rather abruptly.

For the first time in my professional career, I sincerely hoped a new narrator would arrive wearing the least flattering shirt he owned.

And if it happened to button all the way to his throat, I certainly wasn’t going to complain.

Chapter 2

The lower access road was still closed when I got back to Crosscut Logging, which was the first reassuring thing I’d seen since somebody offered me a small fortune to read about a dragon’s sex life.

I parked in the designated area, put on my hard hat, safety glasses, and reflective vest, and headed toward the loading yard. The day’s work was winding down, with the rumble of a diesel engine carrying across the clearing and the sharp smell of freshly cut timber mingling with damp earth. Beyond the stacked logs, late-afternoon sunlight caught the gold and copper leaves along the forest’s edge. The October air had turned chilly enough that I was glad I’d kept my flannel on.

Toby, one of the younger men on my crew, approached with an inspection sheet tucked beneath his arm. He’d been working hard to learn the business, and I appreciated that he wasn’t afraid to ask questions.

“I checked that lower bend again,” he told me. “It’s still slick where the sun doesn’t reach, so I left the barriers up. Reuben said we can use the east section tomorrow instead.”

“That’s the right decision. I’d rather rearrange the hauling schedule than have somebody lose control of a loaded truck. Make sure everyone knows about the change before you head home.”

Toby nodded and went to finish his work.

I found Reuben beside the crew truck, reviewing the following day’s assignments. As our senior logging operator, he had years of experience handling equipment and supervising work in the field. He was also the man I trusted to take over as acting foreman whenever I needed time away.

That brought me to the conversation I’d been putting off. I needed Lyle, our operations superintendent, to approve some personal leave, and I couldn’t ask him to do that until I knew Reuben was comfortable running the crew.

Explaining why I suddenly needed Friday off was going to be another matter entirely. I doubted Lyle had ever received a leave request involving a cursed dragon and a woman with a very persuasive smile.

Reuben glanced up as I approached, a pencil braced against the clipboard. The last truck had cleared the loading area, and a pair of crew members were securing their gear near the equipment shed.

“I hear you’ve already got tomorrow sorted,” I said. “How’s the east section looking?”

“Solid enough, assuming we don’t get rain overnight. I’ll have Toby check the approach first thing, and we’ll keep the lower road closed until it’s dry.” He turned the clipboard so I could see his revised route. “You look like you’ve got something else on your mind.”

The changes he’d made were sensible, which made my next request a little easier. “I need Friday off. Maybe an hour or so tonight to take care of some paperwork, too. Would you be willing to act as foreman?”

Reuben didn’t answer immediately. He turned the sheet toward me and walked through which operators were assigned to which machines, what could wait, and who’d handle the morning safety briefing. He’d covered for me before, and we had a routine for this. I made two notes, confirmed the equipment checks, and went over the one delivery that couldn’t slip.

“No problem,” he said when we’d finished. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Something came up unexpectedly, and the timing’s awkward.”

He studied me for another moment, then returned to the schedule rather than pressing for details. Reuben had always been good at leaving a man room to mind his own business. “Well, you’ve given me a perfectly ordinary schedule. I was hoping for a few more days of excitement before you abandoned me.”

I laughed. “Don’t tempt me. There’s still time for Lyle to find you something awful.”

“He usually does. Go talk to him. I’ll finish the handoff and make sure Toby understands who he reports to in the morning.”

We headed toward the site office together, past a neat row of parked machines with mud drying on their tracks. A gust stirred the leaves caught along the fence. The woods beyond our managed cutting area were turning bright with fall color, but beneath the pretty view was the same ground we’d spent weeks assessing, marking, and working carefully. There wasn’t much room for mistakes on a steep hillside, especially at this time of year.

Lyle was inside the office looking through a stack of maintenance reports, his work cap pushed back on short gray hair. He’d supervised this operation long enough to tell whether someone was bringing him a problem or a solution. I was hoping to offer the second.

“Reuben’s agreed to cover the crew tomorrow,” I told him after we’d gone over the schedule. “I’ve got accrued leave I’d like to use, starting when we finish the handoff tonight. Everything will be covered, and I’ll keep my work phone on in case there’s a real emergency.”

Lyle checked the assignments, then looked toward Reuben. “You’re happy with this?”

“I’ve got the crew and the equipment schedule. We won’t be making changes to the lower access road until it’s safe.”