Cutter Mountain Rendezvous (9 page)

The carpenter stepped forward to place an iron grip on Colton’s extended hand. His gold front tooth radiated amidst a mouthful of white teeth and rich brown skin. “Germaine Tripp.”

“Colton Gray. This is Kate Crockett. The lady of the house. She put that sign out front.”

Kate cocked her head his direction. “That’s not true.
You
put the sign up so I assume
you
want to handle this?”

“You’re the innkeeper. Show him what you need done and take his estimate.”

“You’ll have to excuse us, Mr. Tripp. It seems Mr. Gray and I can’t agree on a thing this morning. Follow me and we’ll both show you the job.”

Talk of the construction passed between them but Kate’s intuition kicked in, making her wonder if Colton knew this man. Impossible, she thought. Other than a handshake that appeared too personal, neither man said a word. She shook away the thoughts and tried not to read too much into the situation. The carpenter most likely recognized him as a sports celebrity and was showing respect for Colton’s privacy.

****

The carpenter from nowhere turned out to be a Godsend. Not only was Germaine an excellent finish carpenter, he had his own place to sleep and eat, which took a lot of pressure off her.

Germaine’s presence also made Kate realize Colton was a
man’s man
. The two seemed to gravitate in their own private man world that left Kate on the outside. Not Lindsay, though. Colton put her to work on small tasks when she came home from school.

Evenings gave Kate a glimpse into what type of outdoor fun she could offer her guests. Good conversation around a campfire. Tonight, she talked to Germaine about the furniture he built while Colton taught Lindsay to catch a baseball. The new pink baseball glove and rubber ball had been bought while he and Germaine made one of their supply runs to town.

Tomorrow being a school day, Kate coerced a grumbling Lindsay inside for a bath and bedtime story. She saw Colton head for the campfire and sit opposite Germaine, who pulled a cold bottle of beer from a small ice chest.

****

“How long you gonna baby your shoulder before you start pitching again?” Germaine asked as they watched Kate disappear into the house.

“Don’t know. Doesn’t feel right yet.”

“You pitched any yet?”

“Nah. Shoulder’s too stiff.”

“Shoulder’ll stay stiff if you don’t exercise it.”

“Aw hell, leave it alone, Germaine.”

The logs crackled and settled into the ash. The two men went quiet. Having the big man beside him brought back memories of their early relationship. Germaine was the first MLB catcher on the receiving end of his not-yet-famous knuckleball. He had been a rookie pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and as green as grass to the ways of major league baseball. Germaine had taken him under his wing and helped him along. And here he was again, lending a helping hand.

Colton grinned. “I asked Mason to find a finish carpenter not someone to push me into using my arm. How convenient you’re actually a carpenter.”

“Not true, my friend.” Germaine poked a stick at the hot embers. A small flame ignited on a log. “Mason thinks you should retire.”

“I don’t care what he thinks. If I retire I jeopardize my bonus. That’s twelve million, Germaine. Four for each year I finish the season on the mound.”

Germaine made a low whistle. “Guess you shouldn’t have gotten on that dirt bike.”

“Guess not. I know I’ll get back on the mound but things don’t feel right. I’m trying not to push it too fast.” He caught Germaine’s serious frown. “Between you and me, I smell the end of my career encroaching.”

“You smell fear of the unknown, not the end of your career. You get paid for sitting on the bench, right?”

“I’d rather retire.”

“Hell, man, what do you care? Sit yo’ ass on the bench and get paid. You’ve pissed enough away.”

“You know that will kill me.”

“Then let’s work the arm. First tell me about the surgeries. Did you call your trainer?”

“We’ve talked.”

Once Germaine was satisfied the arm could be safely exercised, he convinced Colton to throw. They were easy pitches meant to loosen up his stiff muscles. The shoulder ached after the modest sessions, but Colton felt good. Hopeful.

He set up a tire found in the barn after Germaine left and continued to practice. Nothing heavy. Fluff pitches to stay loose until he was sure the whole damned arm didn’t fly out of the socket. The badly dislocated shoulder remained his biggest worry since the bike accident last fall.

Would it affect the once-stable knuckleball? His claim to fame. Did he want to know? That and the steel pins in his knee. Due to its slower speed, the pitch wrought havoc with the knees more so than the pitching arm.

Deciding to rest the arm a day, Colton moved to clean out the barn.

“Colton, hold up.” Kate trotted across the yard after him. “I’m really uncomfortable with you poking around in the barn. It’s not safe.”

“Of course it’s safe. I’ve already been inside. Several times.”

“Thank God it didn’t fall down on your head.”

“It’s a great barn. Come see for yourself.”

“No, I’ll not step foot in it. I’d rather we clean the scraps out of the bedrooms. There’s still work to be done before the furniture arrives.”

Much to Kate’s surprise, he dropped any further discussion of the barn. She felt guilty when he looked forlorn over his shoulder like a kid denied his heart’s desire. If she thought of it later, she would ask what drew him to the dilapidated structure.

At day’s end, she was bone tired and more than pleased to see her mom pull in the drive. Especially after she removed a basket she used to carry food. Eva smiled. “Brought you dinner.”

“You’ve no idea how much I appreciate it. Thanks. Is Dad joining us?”

“No. I can’t stay. He wants me to drive with him into Knoxville tonight to meet up with your cousin. He promised Jeff he’d come out and see the project. We’ll take him and his boys to dinner afterward. Since I’d already made the casserole, I thought you might be able to use it.”

“It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“Where’s Colton?”

“Inside getting cleaned up.”

“I see he put up the wooden blinds.”

“Yes, no more free shows.”

“Well, that’s a shame. By the way, I ran into Claire. I told her you’d be stopping by to ask about Tom Cutter.”

“Seems to be a hoax. I haven’t heard another thing.”

“You should stop by anyway. She’s lonely since Bobby moved out into his trailer.”

“Can’t you even come see the finished bedrooms or stay for a cup of tea?”

“Next time. Don’t want to keep your dad waiting.”

“Thanks for the tuna casserole. It’s my favorite.”

“I know. You were the only little girl in Bear Creek who loved tuna sandwiches and casserole. See if you can get Lindsay to try it.”

“Colton has taken over that job and with a lot more success than we’ve ever managed.”

“Lindsay’s smitten. How about you?”

“Pffft. He’s a jock way too full of himself.”

Eva laughed and headed back to her car.

****

“You’re
where?
” Colton about shouted. He tilted the blinds to get a better view of Kate waving goodbye to her mom. “Do
not
pull in the driveway. Wait up the road, and I’ll meet you.” He pocketed his phone and met Kate on the porch.

“Cowboy. You clean up good.” He swallowed hard seeing Kate’s brilliant smile wilt before his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Look, I’m taking off for a couple of days. I’ve left my stuff in the room so lock the door. I don’t have a key and don’t want Lindsay in my bag.”

“I’d never—”

“Hold on, Kate. I’ve serious meds in the bag in case I reinjure my shoulder. Accidents happen with kids.”

“But...” She looked at the warm casserole in her hands.

“Lock up the place and do
not
rent my room out from under me. I’ll pay for the days I’m away.”

“But...where are you going? You must be starving. You don’t have a car.”

Her round green eyes conveyed a full range of emotions from confusion to disappointment. Disappointment sure as hell was the last thing he wanted to see there. He’d been around enough women to recognize she was getting attached. He liked Kate. Just not the way she was staring back at him full of expectation. “My ride’s up the road. I’ll walk out.”

“Why doesn’t he pick you up here?”

“Believe me. You do not want this person on your property.”

“Is he dangerous?”

Colton laughed. “Only if you’re famous.”

His cowboy boots crunched over the gravel on the long drive. There was no need to glance over his shoulder to know she still stood on the porch holding the damned casserole. He turned around to walk backward. “Go inside and call your dad about the kid stealing from the construction pile. And lock your doors!”

“I can take care of myself,” she hollered back with a tug on the stuck screen door.

Damn, he hated leaving. With Germaine’s camper gone, the youth might show up again.

Once he left the large clearing where Kate’s cabin and barn were nestled, large trees took over the landscape. It became several degrees cooler and several shades darker. He saw the red taillights of a white Volvo sedan idling at the side of the road. He walked up to the driver’s side window and leaned his hands against the roof. “What? No Lamborghinis at Dollar Rent A Car?”

“Still a smartass, I see.” Her perfume cloaked him in a heavy spice that made him wonder how he ever thought it sexy.

His jaw tightened. “How the hell did you find me?”

“Temper, temper, Colton.” She flipped a long lock of platinum hair over her shoulder to reveal a low-scooped top overflowing with cleavage. “Get in. I have a suite in Knoxville. We have two days to work things out before I fly back to Miami.”

“My lawyer’s in Chicago.”

“Oh, pookie. You don’t need Seth. You need your checkbook.”

****

Sleep was impossible as Kate wondered where Colton had run off to so sudden. She rolled over to squint at the clock. Midnight. The outside lights went on and lit her room. It had happened before when animals walked through the yard. This late at night, and with a history of a prowler, she didn’t move a muscle to listen.

A scraping noise outside made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Short, shallow breaths and a surge of adrenaline made it impossible to stay in bed. She swung her feet to the cold floor to slip the gun from the holster hung over her bed post.

With the gun held tight to her side, she closed and locked the door that led downstairs to the kitchen. Once inside Lindsay’s room, she locked that door as well. Both Lindsay and Tinkerbelle were sound asleep as Kate made her way to the window in time to see a dark figure drag away a piece of drywall and disappear into the shadows.

She stood there for a while with her heart hammering in chest. When she began to shiver, she slipped into bed beside Lindsay. The gun was carefully set on the nightstand. Blood rushed in her ears as she tried to calm her breathing and convince herself there was no reason to be afraid. After all, Colton had seen the youth and both agreed the construction pile thief only wanted discarded junk.

That provided little reassurance as she tried to fall asleep with her ears tuned to every sound in the house or outside.

Morning light would not come fast enough.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” Kate threw a piece of wood on the construction pile and brushed the dirt off her hands.

“Colton called me late last night.” Kate ground her teeth and avoided eye contact. “He said you’ve a prowler so I sent a car up here on extra runs. Dale saw your outside lights on around midnight. Said they weren’t on at eleven so he parked on the street and walked in to check things out. He believes he scared off a kid at this here pile you’re scrubbing around in.”

“Colton should mind his own business.”

Carter walked away from his daughter and studied the ground. Near the edge of the woods, he picked up a large sheet of drywall. “This must be what Dale saw the kid drop.” He hauled the piece back to the pile and tossed it on. “What I want to know is why you didn’t call me.”

“It didn’t seem important enough to bother you.”

“Risk your own neck, Kate, but my granddaughter is out here. I’ll not have a woodsman hanging around your place.”

“It’s just a kid. Colton saw him and obviously Dale agrees as you called him a kid yourself.” Kate spied something near the pile and walked over to pick it up. “Dad, look at this.” She bent over to pick up a rabbit’s foot. There was a rough piece of twine wound around the end. She handed it to him.

“Guess it didn’t bring him the luck he expected. I’ll keep this.” Carter pocketed the totem. “In the meantime, I’ll be sleeping here at night until Colton comes back.”

“What if he doesn’t come back for a week?”

“He said he’d be back in a couple of days. That he had business in Knoxville.”