Coming Home (Norris Lake Series) (21 page)

“Hey man,” Ben said reaching across the bar to John’s outstretched hand.

“How are you doing tonight?” John responded grasping Ben’s hand warmly in his own.

“I’m good.  Seems quiet.  Any trouble tonight?”

“No. All quiet.  Coffee?” John poured the dark hot liquid into a white mug in front of his friend. 

“Yes, thanks.  I could use a dose of caffeine,” Ben admitted putting a creamer and a generous dose of sugar in the cup.

Looking over the room, Ben nodded at familiar faces as he took a sip.  Noticing a couple of unfamiliar men seated at a nearby table, he turned to John, who was busy washing beer mugs and wiping them dry with a soft blue cloth.  “Who are those two?”

“I was wondering the same thing so I sent Shelly over to the table earlier to pump them.  The guy in the suit is Dominic Lawson.  He’s some big dog general manager at a car dealership in Knoxville.  Real self-important if you know the type.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed as he examined Lawson, and a swell of jealous anger burned deep in his chest.  Despite what had happened between them, this was the man that Cat wanted more than him.  The slick dark hair, casually cut in the latest style and manicured nails screamed wealth and power.  Ben had no place for men like Dominic who wielded their power against women, especially the one that he had pledged to cherish. 

“Yeah, I know the type.  How about the other one?”

“The second is someone you probably don’t know but I remember him from high school.  He was considered a freak and no one knows exactly where he came from.  Sheriff Kane adopted him then it’s said he killed the Sheriff’s daughter.  I remember her, kind of.  She was a cute black haired girl named Beth.”

“Why was he a freak?”

“Albino.  He’s changed his looks.  He’s got dark hair and dark eyes, even darkened his skin but it’s the same guy.  I’d bet the bar on it that those two are up to no good.”

“I think I’ll just go over there and introduce myself,” Ben said placing the empty mug back on the bar.

Walking over to the table where the two men sat, Ben stopped and stood as the men’s conversation waned.  They looked up at him, Dominic sitting back against the wood backrest of the bench.  He reached for a box of Marlboro Lights, shook one out and lit it, lazily blowing smoke in Ben’s direction. 

“You,” Ben said, pointing to Dominic, “I need to talk to you.”    Ben walked to a back to the table, the crowd parting for him like the red sea.  He took a seat and gestured to Dominic to sit. Beneath the yellow light of the bulb, they sat, two warriors judging one another. 

“I saw you with her tonight,” Dominic said looking at the cigarette in his hands and not into Ben’s face.  “I want to kill you both for that.” 

“Are you threatening me?” Ben leaned forward putting his hands on the table. 

“Back up law man.” Dominic said quietly. Ben could see the
muscles in Dom’s jaw move as he clenched his teeth and sense the other man’s seething anger.  Ben thought a moment and then stood.  If Dominic had seen them together, the man had a superior sense of control. 

“I am going to forget you said that and you listen to what I have to say.  I’ve known Cat longer than you have.  She loved me once and she may be confused right now, but for some insane reason, she told me tonight that she loves you.” Ben said quietly so his words wouldn’t be heard by anyone except Dominic.  “I don’t know why but she does.  I don’t think she should, but I respect her wishes.  She may have been with me tonight, but it’s you she wants for her lifetime.  If you want her, you’d better straighten up or you’re going to lose her, forever.  One more thing, she didn’t say it, but I’ve been around enough women to know the signs.  If you ever raise a hand to her again, I’ll come after you and make you regret it. Remember, she loves you and for that fact I will forgive you this once, but if you ever hurt her, I won’t hesitate, I will kill you.”  Without waiting for Dominic’s answer, Ben turned and walked out the front door waving goodnight to John as he went by.

Dominic held his head in his hands and closed his eyes against the world.  “What now?” He thought.  “What now?” 

Stephen walked over to the table and sat down with Dominic.  “Can I buy you a drink?  I think we have something in common.” 

Chapter 18

“So it’s a baby?”  Caitlyn said in wonder running her hand across her flat tummy.  “It’s growing inside of me?  It doesn’t feel real.  I don’t have any morning sickness or anything else that would make me feel as if I am pregnant.  Shouldn’t I have felt something?” 

“Not necessarily,” smiled Dr. Jamieson as he patted her knee.  Caitlyn had just changed back into her street clothes glad to get out of the white wrap around gown so popular in most doctor’s examinations.  It and the cold sheet covering the leather exam table had made her feel vulnerable.  Now in her street clothes she was once again in control or had thought she was until Dr. Jamieson delivered the unexpected news.  He sat in front of her on a low round stool which rolled effortlessly on the white linoleum floor. 

Dr. Jamieson was the Norman Rockwell picture of a country doctor.  He looked
somewhat like an old Jimmy Stewart with stooped shoulders, little round silver glasses, an old white coat, brown corduroy pants and light brown suede saddle shoes completed the picture.  Looking over his spectacles at her, he pulled a pad from his front breast pocket and began writing and a loopy scrawl that was virtually unreadable.

“What’s this for?” She asked as he handed her the page.

“Prenatal vitamins.  Take them as directed on the bottle and then come back to see me in a about a month.  Any other questions?”

Shaking her head, she sighed, looking at the prescription in her hand still sitting on the exam table.  “No questions, doctor.”

He put his hands on her knees and pulled up close to her.  “You do want this baby, don’t you?”

“I don’t know.  It’s so unexpected. I didn’t think I could get pregnant and my husband and I aren’t exactly getting along.”

“Yes, not to be prying into your personal business, but I’ve heard some rumors. Child, this is a life that is already growing inside you, but only you can make the decision whether or not you want this baby. Think long and hard.  Babies are a lifetime commitment, a lot of hard work and a child can give you endless love, the greatest of gifts, but an unwanted child is a tragedy.” He stood and leaned forward giving her a hug.  “We’ll get through this, Caitlyn, you know we’re here to support you whatever you decide.”  He patted her shoulder and as she walked out of the room.

Leaving the doctor’s office, Caitlyn paused looking out the entrance door at the sun as it started to fade in the western sky, marveling at the way the orange and yellow rippled across the blue and white clouds.

Driving through the curves following the Clinch River in the early evening, Caitlyn day dreamed not paying attention to other cars on the road until she noticed a rapidly approaching pair of headlights in her rearview mirror because it had turned to dusk.  She tapped her brakes to show the car behind her the speed of her own truck, but the headlights kept coming.  She started to slow and pull to the right shoulder of the road to allow the other car to pass only to see the other car swerve to stay directly behind her.  The vehicle’s headlights and grill were higher than her own so she guessed it was a truck much larger than hers.  

“Wham!” The other vehicle bashed into her bumper shoving the dually forward and slamming her hard into the steering wheel.  The truck behind her slowed and then roared forward slamming again into her bumper throwing her forward once again.  Caitlyn grabbed her steering wheel hard swearing to herself.  Heart beating wildly, she pressed hard on the gas pedal, her truck jumping forward before the other vehicle could ram her again.  As she gained speed, the gap widened.  She fled frantically the truck swerving as it rounded each turn, trees passing dangerously close to her passenger window. 

The lights in the rear view mirror appeared again pulsing white as the other vehicle bumped and swerved behind her as if it were a predator chasing its prey.  She could see the other vehicle pull closer and though it was past twilight she could see it was a dark Ford 250 truck, but she couldn’t make out the driver’s face.  The Ford pulled next to her on the left in the oncoming lane and then swerved hard right into the back panel of her own truck. 

She shrieked as the steering wheel was jerked from her hands.  The front tires of her truck were forced into the oncoming lane and toward the steep embankment of the river that ran down the left side of the road.  Suddenly, she had a choice, the water or the trees.  Neither was an option as she pressed even harder on the gas trying to stay ahead of her pursuer.  She could hear the roar of her truck its engine overloading.  The dually was designed for torque not speed and it handled like a tank rather than a sports car. 

Yelling in frustration, tears streamed down Caitlyn’s face. All her mind could think of to do was scream.  It wouldn’t even form cohesive words.  Terror filled her heart making it pound hard in her chest.  She wasn’t thinking but rather acting on impulse and instinct to keep the truck on the road between the trees and the river.  The larger, faster black 250 roared behind her and to the left of her own white and silver dually.  Somehow Cat remembered something special ahead, she knew there was a single lane stone railroad trestle with a short tunnel for the road. Both trucks wouldn’t fit in the tunnel together.  On either side of the trestle was solid rock.  She knew she had to get through the tunnel before the other truck or take the chances of it forcing her into the stone wall. 

Barreling down the road at 70 miles per hour on a twisting, dark tree-lined road, Caitlyn felt her chances wane as the light dwindled and night fell around her.  The bright lights blared behind her stabbing her in the eyes with a blinding whiteness as the other driver hit his high beams. To the right of the dually a large figure jumped out in front of her truck, its antlers outlined; silhouetted in black and its frightened eyes freezing it solidly still in her headlights.  Without thinking, Caitlyn jerked the truck to the right to avoid hitting the buck.  The front tires dropped off the pavement and onto the soft gravel digging hard first into the embankment of the road and then the soft dirt.  The tire grabbed the ground yanking the steering wheel hard.

As the front end stopped, the back end of her truck maintained its forward speed and then accelerated as the F250 hit the right back fender.  She could feel the truck start to spin.  As it came sideways the left back tire took hold and the truck started to flip.  The heavy duty tires were not enough to hold the truck to the ground.  Caitlyn straightened her arms, gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as she lost control of the truck. The cab tilted to the left and seconds later her driver side window slammed the ground exploding the window pieces in a shower of glass.  The airbags in the steering wheel and dashboard erupted filling the cab and pinning her against the seat.  Her shoulder harness held as she felt the truck go on over upside down then sliding down the hill. 

Wham! The momentum stopped abruptly against an unmoving wall of ancient fir and maple. The F250 stopped briefly, as if assessing the damage to the dually, then sped off in the darkness. Upside down, Caitlyn put one hand to her forehead and felt the warm stickiness of blood on her palm.  Pushing the airbag away she reached her left arm across her chest and unsnapped the seat belt falling on the upper side of her back on to the roof of the truck.  The passenger door lay wedged against a copse of trees but her driver side door was free.  She put her shoulder to the door and pushed.  It creaked open. She gave it a second shove and she climbed out onto the cold grass hugging the ground as if it were her own warm bed at home. 

A pair of headlight appeared over the edge of the embankment.  It was him, she thought to herself.  He’s come back to finish the job.  Caitlyn staggered first to her knees a grabbed a nearby tree to struggle to her feet.  The whole world swayed around her as if she was on a crazy tilta-whirl ride and the ground rose up to grab her once more.  She lay on her side eyes closed hoping that the maniac in the truck would make the end quick.  Laying there in the cold, wet grass with the light from the full moon and the smell of gasoline, a pair of warm hands gathered into familiar arms. 

“Cat, wake up, it’s me Ben.  Can you hear me?” he cried as the ambulance pulled up behind his patrol car.

“Ben?” Caitlyn said slowly opening her eyes and regaining her senses.  “I’m okay just a little shook up.  I need to tell you what happened.  It was a big dark truck.  It tried to run me off the road.  I couldn’t out run it and he just kept ramming me.  A deer jumped out in front of me and I swerved to miss it.  Oh, God, I could have been killed.” She started shaking and as the shocking events caught up to her, unchecked her tears began to flow.  She couldn’t help herself.  She couldn’t even speak the fear as so overpowering.

Ben pulled a rag out of his back pocket and wiped the blood from her forehead.  It was a cut that might require a few stitches but all-in-all she looked like she’d been lucky.

“It’s okay,” he said leaning into the Bronco to hold her.  After a few minutes, she stopped shivering. 

“I want you to go get checked out at the hospital.”

“My truck?”

“It’s gone. Totaled.  Don’t worry about the damn truck he groaned. I’ll get it towed into town and find you a decent loaner.  No more protests, Cat.  I meant it.  I’ll call your Dad to meet you.  Stay with him tonight.  It may not be safe to be on your own.  I’ll stop by and pick up your dog and bring her over to your Dad’s house later this evening.” 

A siren whined shrilly in the distance coming ever closer.  They loaded her into the ambulance and sped away lights flashing.

Ben called for a tow truck examining her vehicle while he waited. That bastard, Ben thought to himself.  If her husband did this he was going to make him wish he were dead.

Hours later, Robert Tarlington inquired of his daughter just after dropping her at the lake house.  “Caitlyn, how are you doing?”

She held the phone close to her ear gingerly.  Then switched it to the other side of her head because it hurt so bad.  “I am fine Dad, just a little banged up and bruised,” she replied lowering herself carefully into one of the brown easy chairs next to the fireplace.  She set a hot cup of dark chocolate cappuccino on the end table to her right and leaned back into the soft cushion with a sigh of relief.  Then she adjusted an icepack so it balanced on her forehead and arranged another one on her left knee.

“You know you can stay with me.  You’re being pigheaded by staying there alone. We don’t know if it was that crazy husband of yours that is doing this or maybe it has to do with the threats to the condo project,” her father worried fuming as he thought twice about his decision to take her back home.

“Dad, I know it’s not Dominic.  He may be a little wild and more than a little scary but he wouldn’t do this to me.  His bark is much worse than his bite.”

“It had better not be that son-in-law of mine.  I’ll kill him.”

“If it’s the condo project, I won’t let them scare me off.  Whoever it is….if they think I am going to be scared enough to drop the project, then we won’t make the deadline and you’ll lose the contract.  We can’t let that happen.” 

“Caitlyn, I can’t let you manage that project anymore. It’s too dangerous.”

“You don’t have a choice Dad. Who else is available?”

“I can get Michael to take over the project”.

“You can’t Dad.  If it is the condo project, then we can’t put him in danger.  I won’t let you do that.  And by the way, I like the lake house and being on my own.  It’s the first time I’ve been on my own since I got married.  It’s makes me feel strong and independent to be on my own and making my own decisions.”  Caitlyn stated strongly in her determination to get her own way.  She tucked her feet up under her and opened her arms for the little dog to jump up and join her in the large chair.

“I don’t want you involved any more.  It’s too dangerous,” her father restated resolute too in his determination not to lose his authority entirely.

“Dad, I am fine.  Who knows?  It could have been just a couple of rednecks out drunk having some fun.  We don’t know they tried to force me off the road on purpose,”  Caitlyn countered.

“I will have Bubba take over the project, Caitlyn or I can do it.” His resolution failing in the light of her pragmatic argument.

“Dad, you can’t do that.  You are in no shape to be up and about.  If it is dangerous, Bubba has a wife and four kids to think about.  I don’t want to be responsible for anything happening to Bubba.  He’s as much like a father to me as you.”

“I will be fine.  I can take care of myself.  I swear,”  she finalized knowing the argument was over and she’d won.