Cold Heart (13 page)

They got in their vehicle and drove down the driveway in a cloud of dust. Lexi had just managed to get Tucker inside when someone began banging the knocker.

15

She opened the door half expecting it to be Montgomery again. When she saw Carter, she burst into tears. He had her in his arms in an instant.

“What happened?” he said as he pulled back and searched her face.

“I just had a ... visit ... from .... Montgomery and ... Mitch,” she sobbed.

“I know that,” Carter said and he hugged her again. “You’re okay Lexi, tell me what happened. I saw them turning out of the driveway onto the main road when I was coming back from town, just now. Did they do something, say something?”

Lexi tried to get her tears under control. She snuffled and tried to wipe the tears away with her hand.

“It’s not so much what they said, it’s more the way they said it and even then I couldn’t tell you exactly why but I just felt threatened.”

“Well they are masters of intimidation,” he said.

“Tucker went absolutely nuts when he saw Mitch I thought he might kill him if I had let him go. Thank goodness I had a hold of his collar and that he’s obedient. It was all the proof I needed to know that Mitch is the one that ... locked him ... in the barn. They said they were here to offer their condolences about the fire but they weren’t.”

“No I agree, they were letting you know, lest there be any doubt in your mind, they mean business,” Carter said.

That brought the tears again.

“I’m ... sorry,” she sobbed. “I was having such a good day and I’ve made so much progress and was so ... proud of myself and ...”

“It’s okay,” Carter said. “You have every reason to be upset. Let’s feed Tucker and then I want you to come over to my place for awhile. I’ll cook you dinner.”

“Really,” Lexi said brightening. “That is so nice of you.”

She wiped her eyes again and tried to smile but not enough for her dimples to appear and her lower lip was quivering like she might cry again. She bit her lip to make it stop. They went into the kitchen and fed Tucker. Lexi went upstairs and grabbed a sweater. She also went into the bathroom and washed her face and brushed her teeth. She ran a comb through her hair. She almost started to cry again. She was really scared of those men. Lexi ran down the stairs. Carter and Tucker were waiting at the bottom. I’ve checked all the doors and windows on the main floor. Do you have your keys?

“Yes, here,” she said and handed them to Carter.

He locked the front door and the three headed out to his truck.

“You have a knack for coming to my rescue,” Lexi said.

“Hey I’m happy to be your spider squasher,” he said.

Lexi laughed. She cuddled up to Tucker who was sitting on the seat between them.

“I will never let that mean man hurt you Tucker,” she said. “I’ll shoot him first.”

“I told them to get off my property or I’d get one of Uncle Max’s shotguns and make them.”

“You are one gutsy lady, I’ll give you that,” Carter said.

“Well I was quaking in my boots the whole time and the truth is I don’t know the first thing about guns,” Lexi said.

“I could teach you,” he said.”

“Thank you,” she said and the lower lip quivered again, just a little, “But I don’t think I am a gun kind of person.”

They had reached Carter’s place and he climbed out and Tucker followed. Lexi reached for her door handle but he had made it around and had the door open for her in a heartbeat. Lexi was taking it all in. It was a beautiful farmhouse.

“Wow,” she said, “I don’t know what I was expecting but this is not it. It’s amazing Carter.”

“My mom had such vision for this kind of thing. Wait until you see the inside. But first would you like to meet my horses?” he said.

“Yes,” she replied. This was so nice and just the distraction she needed.

They headed for the stables and went inside. It smelled of hay and leather and manure. They continued through a door that opened to a large paddock it was empty but Carter walked to a gate at the other side and as he opened it, he whistled. Out of nowhere, six horses appeared at the edges of the pasture and they came running for all they were worth. They all came into the paddock and Lexi backed up a little.

“They won’t hurt you,” he said.

A couple of the horses came up to him and nuzzled against him. He made sure to touch each one and then he went into the stables and he put feed in each of their stalls and one by one he put each horse in its stall for the night. It was a lengthy process but Lexi was fascinated by these magnificent animals and by the love Carter showed to them. Tucker seemed to like the horses too and they he. Then as she watched he went to a stall at the very end of the barn, grabbing a bridal from a peg by the door and went into the stalls. He led a horse out and down towards the door to the paddock. Lexi gasped when she saw how thin the horse was. It walked slowly. A couple of the other horses whinnied at him as he passed.

“Just got him the other day,” Carter said. “He needs a little outside time but he isn’t up to much yet. It’ll just take me a few minutes.”

Carter led the horse out to the paddock and then he spent some time talking to the horse and stroking his head and neck. He walked the horse around the paddock a few times, then brought him back into the barn and put him in his stall. He then went into the room where the feed was stored and returned to the stall with feed for the horse.

“Okay,” he said. “My work here is done. Let’s get us a drink.”

“Oh that sounds nice,” Lexi said. “What do you feed that poor horse?”

He gets several small meals a day for the first ten days or so. That’s the critical timing in starvation. The feed is a high quality alfalfa. It’s the best because of its high composition of protein as well as major electrolytes, phosphorus and magnesium.

“Wow,” Lexi said, “What an undertaking to nurse a huge animal like that back to health.”

“He’s number seven,” Carter said, “haven’t lost one yet.”

“You mean everyone of ...”

“Yup,” Carter said.

Lexi’s eyes were brimming with tears.

“Sorry,” she said, “I find it so hard to imagine anyone treating an animal so cruelly. How can there be people like that in this world? Thank goodness there are people like you. What you are doing is so wonderful. It just all makes me so emotional.”

“Lexi you don’t have to apologize for caring,” Carter said.

They walked over to the house with Tucker following. She took a deep breath to try and refocus her attention now to the house. The porch on the front was very large. The house was white with a blue metal roof and blue shutters on long windows that must have allowed a lot of light inside. There were two stories. The front door was a pair of natural cedar doors with glass panels. It led into a bright foyer. Most of the interior walls were white. There were many rustic touches that seemed juxtaposed to the crisp modern white walls. It was comfortable though in an almost rustic way.

“Carter I love it,” she said.

“Come on I’ll show you around,” he said as they walked into a large great room with the kitchen just off it. The kitchen was mostly white but had stainless steel countertops. There was a pair of French doors that led outside to a patio and a BBQ area. The kitchen living room and dining room were all one big space. There were a couple of bedrooms on the main floor, one that Carter obviously occupied and then the master bedroom. There were also two bathrooms.

“I haven’t been able to talk myself into occupying the master yet,” he said. “Somehow it just doesn’t seem right.”

“I can understand that,” Lexi said. “You probably need to redecorate also and then it will feel less like it’s your parent’s room.”

“You are probably right,” he said.

“Not that I don’t absolutely love the way it is decorated right now,” Lexi said.

“So, end of tour,” Carter said.

“Where does the stairway go?” Lexi asked.

“To my studio,” Carter said.

“And you weren’t going to show me?” Lexi said. “As a potential customer I think you should at least give me a peek at what you do.”

“Okay, go on up,” he said.

Lexi went up the stairs first with Carter following. When she stepped into the attic area she found it had quite a vaulted ceiling and the space was really large. It was bright too. There were dormers at the back and while there could have easily been several rooms up here at the moment there was just one big open space. It was set up as a lounge with a big screen TV at one end and his studio at the other. There was a bathroom as well towards the back in between the two spaces. Lexi was impressed.

“What a wonderful space,” she said, still standing at the top of the stairs.

She started to walk around his studio looking at the paintings he had completed some of which had been hung and then at a couple of pieces that were in progress.

“Carter this is stunning,” she said.

She was looking at one of a horse bending down nose to nose with a child.

“I love it.”

“Well I’m glad,” he said.

She really liked the ones he had painted of wineries and vineyards and there were a couple with horses running.

“These are just amazing. You are very talented,” Lexi said. “The love you have for the horses comes through in these paintings.”

“I enjoy it,” Carter said. “Now enough of this, let’s get a drink and I’ll see what in the fridge that I can throw on the BBQ.”

They went downstairs and Carter got them something to drink. He opened some white wine which Lexi had wanted and poured a scotch for himself. Then he went into the fridge and pulled out some salad ingredients and a couple of steaks. He threw a couple of potatoes into foil and then put them in the oven to bake. Then he got a box of crackers from the cupboard and some brie, some salami and olives from the fridge. He sliced up the salami, drained the olives and put them on a platter along with the cheese and the crackers and a little knife.

“Carter, I’m in awe,” Lexi said, helping herself to a slice of cheese and a couple of olives. Is your pantry always so well stocked?”

“Absolutely ... not,” Carter said. “I had every intention of asking you to come for dinner when I went shopping today.”

She laughed and then she smiled and her dimples appeared. Lexi was sitting on a stool at the island and Carter came and sat on the stool next to her.

“I’ve been waiting for those dimples to show up,” he said, smiling at her.

“Oh, well, this is very nice,” she said. “And apparently your timing was perfect because I really needed cheering up. You seem to be very good at doing that.”

She looked directly at him and their eyes met and the sizzle that happened caught them both off guard. Neither of them looked away. Instead Carter leaned in and kissed her ever so lightly on the lips. Just that tiny touch of him was dizzying for Lexi. He put his drink down, got down off the stool and stood as close to her as he could get. Then he bent down and taking her face in his hands he kissed her again, this time letting all of his desire guide him. His tongue teased and delved and then Lexi’s did the same. When he took his mouth off hers to move it down her throat and his hand moved from her face to her breast, Lexi let out a moan. He whispered her name, hot breath in her ear and she felt an ache deep inside her. Finally he pulled back and looked in her eyes.

“I’ve wanted to do that since that first day,” he said.

“Well thank God you finally did,” she said, still breathless.

“Well I wasn’t sure you would want me to, being as you are just out of a relationship,” he said.

“Well it wasn’t really much of a relationship,” Lexi said. “For months I’ve been trying to figure out how to end it.”

“Well I can tell you that it is definitely over,” Carter said.

Lexi gave him a quizzical look, not really understanding what he meant.

“I went down to San Francisco yesterday and I followed him. I wanted to see whether or not he was the one making those crank calls. I was pretty sure it wasn’t him but I wanted to eliminate him. I hope you aren’t mad. I am worried about you.”

“Well it’s hard to be mad when you put it that way,” she said. “What did you find out?”

“He is stringing along some other young woman who clearly has money. I watched the apartment and he was just lying around and then this girl picked him up. I followed them and they went to a very posh restaurant so I went inside and listened in on their conversation. I know it sounds so cloak and dagger but I wanted to be sure that he was harmless and after listening to the two of them, I think he is. At least where you’re concerned.”

“That was very sweet,” Lexi said. She was quite touched that he would be so protective of her.

“There is a downside to all this though, Lexi.” Carter said, “One that has me very concerned.”

16

“You’re scaring me Carter,” Lexi said.

“I know and I’m sorry but I am worried,” Carter said.

“Explain please,” Lexi said.

“If it isn’t Michael that was making the calls then I’m convinced that it is Mitch or Montgomery or both of them. I’m just not sure of the lengths to which Montgomery would go to get that land.”

“Well it’s my land,” Lexi said. “And he’s not having it.”

“I know,” he said. Just then the timer for the oven beeped signalling the potatoes were done.

“I had better turn the BBQ on and start those steaks,” Carter said. “I’m not as good at coordinating as you are.”

“What can I do to help?” Lexi asked.

“Do you mind making the salad?”

“Sure I can do that,” Lexi said.

Carter kissed the top of her head. Lexi got off the stool and went around to the other side of the island and began washing the lettuce and preparing some vegetables for the salad. Carter took the steaks and went out to light the BBQ. He poked his head in a few minutes later to say he was just turning the meat over and he’d be in with the steaks shortly.

“Okay,” Lexi said. She was happy about the kiss but now she was worried and upset about what Carter had said. Tucker on the other hand was not worrying about anything. He was lying on the floor dozing.

Carter brought the steaks in and set the plate on the counter. He came up behind Lexi and put his hands on either side, trapping her in place and bent down and grazed her neck with his mouth. Lexi wiggled and turned herself around and she looked up at him.

“You’re very tall, aren’t you?”

“I guess,” he said and he leaned against her and kissed her again.”

When he stopped kissing her he removed his hands from the counter and looked at her.

“I guess we’d better eat,” he said.

“I guess so,” she said, putting her hands on the counter where Carter’s had been so she could steady herself.

He put the steaks on plates and added the baked potatoes which he had topped with sour cream and chopped chives. He took them to the table, which Lexi realized now had already been set for two. She carried the salad over to the table and sat down. He went to the fridge for a bottle of dressing.

“Sorry about the bottled dressing,” he said.

“Carter, are you under the impression that just because I am a cooking school graduate that I eat gourmet every night?” she asked.

“Well, I guess I kind of thought that,” he said.

“Some nights, I have cereal for dinner,” she said. “Cooking for one is a supreme pain.”

“You’ve got that right,” he said.

They both took bites of their food and Lexi was the first to speak.

“This is really good, thank you,” she said.

“My pleasure,” he replied.

“So changing the subject, why do you think that Montgomery wants my land so badly? I’m just not buying the whole thing about him wanting to open a lodge. I know there is a scaled model and all that but something just doesn’t ring true.

“Yeah, it does seem kind of extreme if that were the reason,” Carter said.

“Why wouldn’t he just buy some other land and build on it.”

“Well he probably wants it to be in close proximity to the winery, but I do get what you are saying,” Carter said.

“Has Mitch worked for Montgomery for a long time?” Lexi asked.

“No, he’s relatively new in town I think. He’s only been working at the winery for a few months and I’m not even sure what he actually does,” Carter said. “Why do you ask?”

“No particular reason,” she said. “I just think there has to be more here than we are seeing.”

“Speaking of more, more wine?” Carter asked.

“Yes please,” she said. “The meal is great, thank you for doing this.”

“My pleasure, it’s good to see you smile,” Carter said.

They finished up their food and then they cleared the dishes away and loaded the dishwasher. When everything was back in its place, Carter put down the glass with the remnants of his wine and took Lexi in his arms.

“Carter I...” she didn’t get it out.

“Don’t say anything, just let me talk,” he said. “We’re going to take this slow. We’ve both been through a lot and I don’t think rushing things is the way to go.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I really enjoy being around you and it would be really easy to just go for it but there is a lot to be said for getting to know each other. I got involved with Michael when I was lonely and stressed and that wasn’t a good decision. Not that there is any similarity between you two, it’s myself I don’t trust.”

“Well I haven’t made the best choices in the past either. We do know out roots though and it would seem that our core values are the same and well ... putting all of that aside, there is the other thing.”

“The other thing?” Lexi asked.

“The chemistry,” Carter said.

“Uh huh, yeah the chemistry,” she said, running her hand through that fabulous hair.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy,” he laughed and so did she. “Let’s take a walk, I should check on the horses.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she said. She was relieved and disappointed all at the same time.

Though Lexi knew that a slow approach was a better one in the long run, she was becoming more and more certain that this was a man she could count on. They went out to the porch. It was early September, but it was still warm and the sun had not yet started to set. They walked out to the stables. As they walked through each horse popped its head out for a pat and was rewarded by a carrot that Carter had taken from a big sack at the entry to the stables. When they got to the last stall, Lexi found herself once again feeling emotional about this poor emaciated creature.

“I just can’t understand how someone could mistreat an animal so badly,” she said.

“I know it is beyond belief, but it happens all too often. When I go to pick up a horse at the shelter, it’s all I can do to only come home with just that one and not also get a dozen dogs and cats and other farm animals as well. There are so many in need,” Carter said.

“Well it’s just a wonderful thing you are doing here,” she said.

“My plan is that once I get them completely healthy and rehabilitated that I will sell or give them to a loving home,” he said.

“And then take in more,” she said.

“Yes,” he said. “That’s my plan.”

“So how long is that process?” Lexi asked.

“It can take months,” Carter said. “I can’t even give this poor thing a carrot yet, like the others, for fear it will screw up his metabolic process.”

Instead he gave him more of his alfalfa and some love and attention and then they continued on outside.

“How about I show you the trail that runs between the two properties,” Carter said.

“Didn’t even know one existed,” she said.

“I used to use it a lot as a kid, it’s getting a little overgrown now,” Carter said.

The path ran directly along the edge of one of the paddocks and that made it easy to find from Carter’s side. Tucker was darting in and out under the fence of the paddock and Carter threw sticks for him. They walked about a mile before they hit some trees and then it was a little more difficult to figure out where it was. They did find it though and as they walked Carter broke the odd branch off that had grown in the way. It was starting to get dark and they decided they should turn around and go back.

“We’ll have to try finding it from your side,” Carter said, “Something for another time. I’m sure that Tucker knows the way because I think this must be the route he used every time he went back over to your place to lie in the barn.”

“Well I guess having the barn burn down was one way to cure him of that,” Lexi said.

When they reached Carter’s house, it was almost completely dark and Lexi was glad they hadn’t gone farther on the trail.

“I should go home, Carter, she said. “I have lots to do tomorrow.”

“Me too,” he said. “I’ll get your purse from the kitchen and lock up, you get in the truck.”

“I had a wonderful time,” Lexi said when he returned. She had totally forgotten about the earlier incident until now when the thought of returning to the big empty Lodge had her feeling some trepidation.”

Carter drove the short distance between the two properties and when they pulled up in front of Wildwood he asked,

“Would you like me to come in and just take a look around and make sure everything is okay?”

“It will be alright,” she said. “I admit I think I’d be happier living in one of the little cottages, which is what I plan to do eventually, until I built myself a house farther back on the property.”

“Really,” he said. “You are ambitious, I’ll give you that.”

He got out of the truck and came around to her side where she and Tucker were already getting out of the vehicle. They all walked toward the big front door and then Lexi turned. She pulled her keys out of her purse and looked up at Carter. He smiled and moved to her and put his hands around her waist.

“Goodnight, Lexi,” he said.

“Goodnight, Carter,” she said.

Then he crushed her against him and devoured her mouth until she was breathless and hungry for more.

“Oh sure,” she said when he pulled away. “And I’m supposed to be able to sleep after that.”

“I better go or I won’t be able to,” he said smiling. “See you tomorrow.”

He walked off the porch and climbed in the truck then he pulled out and drove down the driveway. Lexi just stood there while her heartbeat slowly returned to a normal pace. She turned then and unlocked the door. The place seemed so empty and she wished for a moment that she had let Carter come in and check around. She decided to make a cup of tea and take it upstairs. It was not that late yet but she did feel tired. Too many nights where she hadn’t had a proper sleep she supposed.

Once the tea was ready, she made sure all the lights were off and everything was locked and then she headed upstairs with Tucker following. He went into her room and lay on his bed and Lexi wandered down the hall to Max’s room for no particular reason. She was just wishing that he was here so she could talk to him. She had so many questions and it was so frustrating that no one seemed to have any answers for her. She just stood at the open doorway and gazed in and then finally turned around and went back to her room. She’d had enough of her tea so she decided to get ready for bed and brush her teeth. She would make some notes for tomorrow and then get to sleep early.

She walked into the bathroom and froze. Her mouth went dry, her heart began to race. She just stared at the words scrawled on the mirror evidently with her own lipstick.

LEAVE

How had someone got in here to do that? When had they done it? And even more frightening, were they still in here? Lexi spun around, her breath coming in gasps. She hurried into the bedroom. Tucker was asleep on his mat. If someone were inside he would know it, she was sure of it. It had to have been while she was out at Carters but how had someone known that? Were they watching her? Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. She wanted to call Carter. He would know what to do.

Her cell phone ringing nearly gave her a heart attack. She shrieked. She rushed to pick it up hoping it wasn’t the person who had done this calling to see if they had frightened her.