Finding Kate (2 page)

Chapter Two

Every droplet of rain pelting against Will’s cracked windshield felt like needles digging deeper into his soul. He was accustomed to sudden weather shifts—the clouds had a way of sneaking up and snuffing the brightness out of the sky. But why did life have to shift so suddenly as well?

His mother had died three years ago, but her death still felt as fresh as the wet, sloppy mud on the road. Now his dear friend Emma had brain cancer.

Am I next, God?
A shiver ran through his spine at the thought of it.

He’d spent the last few months trying to reconcile the losses in his life. He figured God must require a good dose of suffering before he’d let someone into heaven, and that was why he remained.

His friend Trevor had asked him to rent his deceased mother’s house to Kate. If they weren’t buddies and money weren’t tight, he would have refused. Trevor had mentioned her arrival a few weeks ago. Will had dreaded it ever since. He didn’t want to add one more problem to his plate. However, Trevor had failed to mention she could knock a man off his feet on looks alone. Regardless, he wanted nothing to do with her. Good thing he could stand on his own.

Will veered his truck around the entrance kiosk to Mesa Verde National Park. The ranger lifted his hand and waved as he passed.

He’d driven this road hundreds of times, but the rugged beauty of the rim rocks and surrounding mountains were not lost on him. The route to the chief ranger’s office snaked back and forth with plenty of steep grades. Most visitors arrived at the station as white as a sheet, still covering their eyes. Will found the ride exhilarating.

His cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID. It was Hal, his boss. He only called when something urgent needed attention. “Hey Hal, whatcha need?”

“We just got word that a mountain lion got too close to some visitors. There’s been an incident.”

Will’s shoulders sank, and he let out a sigh. As Hal talked, he failed to force back the worst thoughts. Were the tourists hurt? Did the mountain lion survive? He would arrive soon enough and his questions would be answered. He gripped the steering wheel with one hand and maneuvered the sharp turns just like he’d done with his own life for so long.

***

The rain continued to slam against Kate’s windshield. She pressed her foot steadily on the gas pedal, hoping the back tires would grip the wet ground beneath them and traction would move her forward. But the car’s backend slid sideways in the mud. She gave up for a minute and took her foot off the gas pedal.

“This isn’t fair!” Kate smacked her hands against the steering wheel then wrapped her fingers tight around it. She squinted and searched for something recognizable outside of the car. But the rain created a solid mass of water, inundating the windshield and hiding everything beyond five feet away.

Suddenly, two large, round nostrils and some jumbo-sized teeth appeared outside her window. She jumped, almost landing in the passenger seat. “Ah!” There was no swallowing her scream. Shivers crawled up her spine. As the creature moved around, the figure became clear. A horse.

She had never been close to a horse, let alone parked next to one.

Seconds later, a hooded face appeared in place of the horse. Her shoulders wiggled, trying to shake off the shivers. A young man made a cranking motion in front of her window with his hand. She cracked the window, and rain shot in like pellets.

The teenage boy pulled back his hood, exposing his face. “Get out of the car and push. We’ll get you outta here.”

Kate hated the thought of getting out of her car. She looked down at her feet. Her shoes had cost a fortune, and the mud would destroy the leather. “But these are Prada,” she protested, lifting her foot a tad. “They don’t like all that mud.”

“These are Justin’s,” he said lifting his foot. “They like the mud. I’m betting Prada will get used to it, too.” A grin grew across his face.

“Why can’t I stay in the car while you push?” she asked, trying not to sound ungrateful.

The young man grinned. “Once those wheels get out of that hole, this car’ll go flying. Without someone behind the wheel who knows what he’s doing—and you obviously don’t—you could end up in a ditch, or worse.”

Really?
Kate reluctantly opened the door and stepped out. “Can you move your horse, please?” Kate pointed behind him.

“He’s harmless,” the kid said, one eyebrow raised.

Her hands circled around in the air. “He’s so…big, and he’s staring right at me.”

“He’s a horse.” Rain ran off the brim of his cowboy hat.

She slid her back along the wet car, keeping her hands close to her chest, and trying to keep her distance from the enormous animal. The boy took the reins, walked the horse a few feet away, and tied it to a fencepost.

“Thank you,” she yelled over the storm.

The young man shook his head back and forth.

A river of sludge oozed over the tops of her shoes and down under her toes, smothering them with filth
.
Slime ran in between her toes.
Disgusting
.

As she rounded the back of the car, she stepped in a hole, which sent her falling to her knees.

“You okay, lady?” the teenager asked. He walked next to her and extended his hand to help her up.

“I’m good,” she said between clenched teeth.

“It’ll wash. Or you can just stand out here for a while and let the rain clean it.” His shoulders shook as he laughed aloud.

Kate took his outstretched hand and stood up. The rain drenched her to the core, as though she stood under a shower aimed full blast right at her head.

He leaned against the back of the car. “Now, when I say push, push. The car’s gonna rock a little bit, but just rock with it.”

Kate had never been stuck in the mud. She had been stuck in the snow a few times, but her father always sent the auto club to help her out.

He crawled into the front seat and revved the engine. The thought of a stranger behind the wheel of her car made her cringe. But what choice did she have?

She leaned into the trunk. The car rocked a bit and Kate tried to move with it.
This isn’t so hard.

The car bolted forward and the tires spun, slinging mud across her body and face.

She spit the brown slop from her mouth and ground the grit between her teeth. Brown slime ran down her arms, and dripped off her fingertips.

The teenage boy climbed out of the car and stood in front of her. His arm held on tight to his stomach as he doubled over with laughter. “Sorry, lady, but I gotta tell my friends about this one.”

“Hmph.” Kate couldn’t stand being the target of ridicule. “Thanks for the help,” she snipped and stomped back to her car. She caught a glimpse of the horse staring at her. The animal whinnied and bounced its head up and down.
Even the horse is mocking me.

When she jerked the door open, she stared at the luxurious leather that had been violated with streaks of mud. Well, she had more where that came from. She plopped onto the seat, put the car into gear, and took off. She drove fast, fearing she’d get stuck again if she went too slow.

After about a mile she rounded another hill, spotted a small box of a house trimmed in red, and whipped into the driveway. “This has to be it.”

Once she reached the canopy of dry shelter on the front porch, Kate fumbled to get the door open and make her way into the warmth of the living room.

A mirror on the wall sat opposite the front door. Specks of mud were splattered across her face. Kate crinkled her nose.
Lovely.

Her cell phone vibrated in her purse. A guitar strummed replacing the sound of a typical ringer, which could mean only one thing—Trevor. As she reached for her phone, she paused and glanced at her mud-caked hands. No towels in sight. She reluctantly wiped them on her pants and answered. “Hello?”

“Kate, you made it.”

His deep, familiar voice lent the comfort she needed at the moment. “I did. Just this afternoon.”

“I take it you found the house okay?”

“After a few snags.” She wouldn’t unload on him…yet.

“Sorry about not being able to meet you. I had to handle some business in Farmington. You met Will?”

“He gave me the keys and a tour of the office.”

“He’s a great friend. You can call him if you need anything.”

“Good to know,” she said. “Are you going to be free tomorrow night?”

“Sure.” Chills ran up her arms as she thought about seeing him again. Six months had passed since his farewell party at the newspaper in Chicago. He wanted to come back home, where he felt he belonged. At the time, she didn’t realize her feelings would surface again, this time much stronger.

“I might swing by there tomorrow night and visit for a few minutes. I’ve got something to tell you.”

“Sounds great.”
This is it. He wants to get back together.

“See you about six then.”

“OK,” Kate took a deep breath and bit her lip to stifle her excitement while still on the phone.

“Oh, and Kate?”

“Yes?” Her heart fluttered in her chest.

“I’m really glad you’re here. It’ll be like old times. Good night.”

“Night.” Kate shut off her phone and a smile grew across her face. “Yep, he wants to get back together again!” She raised her hands in the air and accidentally flung her phone across the room. “Who cares?”

Kate lay on the floor, trying to avoid tarring the furniture with mud, and closed her eyes. Happiness filled her heart.

She thought back to the end of their relationship. They’d remained close friends even though their relationship was over. Trevor believed working for her father and dating her created a conflict of interest. At the time, she didn’t care. Having time for Trevor hadn’t been on the top of her priority list.

But, when he called her to come out to Colorado and help revive the small newspaper, she felt a twinge of regret that they were no longer together. From there, it grew. And now she truly believed Trevor had to be the one—even though it seemed like she had to convince herself at times.

Chapter Three

Will pressed his hand on his thigh to stop himself from tapping his foot. He stared at the phone in his living room, willing it to ring.

On his way to the ranger station, he’d come across a car full of tourists on the side of the road, thirty feet from an injured mountain lion. Those beautiful but dangerous creatures seldom ventured near visitors in Mesa Verde National Park.

After calling for assistance, Will ticketed the driver for speeding around the sharp curves. She’d obviously spotted the animal in the road and nailed the brakes to the floor, but not fast enough to keep from hitting the large cat. Proof of their excessive speed lay in the length of the skid marks.

Ranger teams arrived in record time, but were unable to give the lion the medical assistance she needed. Will rushed the animal to the local Wild Animal Rescue Center for medical care, but his duties prevented him from being able to stay to find out its condition. Concern over the cat’s well being kept him from concentrating on anything else.

The phone rang.
Finally
. “Hello?”

“Hi Will. This is Kate Polson.”

“Hi Kate. What can I do for you?” He didn’t mind a call from her; however, he was disappointed it wasn’t the vet calling.

“I called to find out more information about the accident involving the mountain lion.”

“How did you know about it?”

“I have a police scanner. I plugged it in and heard the chatter. Figured you’d know all about it.”

“I don’t know any information yet.” Kate was good at trying to get the facts. She figured out how to get to the source, and fast.

“Weren’t you there on the scene?” She cleared her throat.

“Yes.” He’d tell her more, if he only knew. 

“Why don’t you meet me in town. Tell me what happened.”

“I’d sure love to help, and I wish I had some information for you, but I don’t know myself. I’m waiting for a call to find out more.”

“I’ll keep in touch. Hopefully you’ll know more later. Can I call you back in a while?”

“Sure. I’d be glad to let you know what I hear,” he said.

“Thanks, I appreciate the help.”

They ended the call, and Will laughed about the fact that he liked the idea of her calling him back—even though he barely knew her. He knew it was strange, since she was anything but his type. Maybe city girls weren’t so bad after all.

Will picked up the phone and dialed the Rescue Center’s number. When the receptionist answered, he asked, “Any word yet?”

“Didn’t I say I’d call you when we knew something?”

He smiled and sighed. Thea knew he would be compulsive about calling. They’d known each other most of their lives and she understood how he operated.

“You have to know something by now,” he said, adding stress to some of his words. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work or rest until he had news.

“The vet is working on her right now and said she looked pretty rough.” A prolonged silence fell over the line. “You saw her. Chances are she won’t make it.”

Will knew not to get his hopes high. She was a wild animal. This kind of thing happened. It was nature and the cycle of life.
“You’ll call me as soon as the surgery’s over, right?”

Thea laughed. “Don’t I always?”

“Even if it’s three in the morning?”

“I’ll call. I promise.”

“Thanks.” He hung up, knowing her return phone call would likely leave him feeling sour.

***

Kate sat on the couch in her new home and gazed at the bits of sunshine poking through the fuchsia-colored curtains covering the front picture window. She shuddered a bit at the décor and giggled, thinking about the previous tenant and her obvious obsession with pink. Wall-to-wall rose-colored tile with magenta grout and coral linoleum smothered the bathroom. Doilies in multiple shades of pink hung on anything a safety pin would poke through. So far Kate counted more than thirty.

A cup of coffee seemed like a good idea. She wandered into the kitchen and searched through the cabinets. “Oh, thank you,” she said, when she spotted the coffeepot under the counter. “Life can go on now.” She rounded the corner to the living room in search of her purse, which always contained a spare coffee packet. She never went anywhere without a backup.

“Hi, young lady.”

Kate sucked in a quick breath and raised her hand to her chest. “Whoa.” An older woman stood in the front doorway, just off the living room.

The woman leaned heavily against her cane.

“Sorry to barge in. I’m Emma. I live down the road.” She pointed out the front door, which was still wide open. “Wanted to make sure you were getting settled.”

“You just took me by surprise,” Kate said, smiling.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. We all know each other around here. Besides, Will told me you’re Trevor’s friend from the city.” Emma handed Kate a plate with a tinfoil covering. “Thought I’d bring you a treat. I hope you like chocolate.”

Kate took the plate and lifted the tin foil covering. “Brownies.” Her grin grew wide. “Definitely my favorite.” She’d let this stranger barge in anytime, especially if she brought chocolate.

“If you need anything honey, I’m in the house on the left, catty-corner across the street.” She set her cane against the wall, took off her hat, punched the inside of it, and twisted the brim. The effort didn’t help the look of it.

Kate walked her to door and looked out, trying to spot Emma’s house. The view took her breath away. Yesterday’s rain had kept her from seeing the range of mountains just outside her door. The Wintervale Valley progressed from a flat terrain to a swift swooping arc toward the sky. Mountains flowed as far as the eye could see. Why hadn’t she seen more travel stories on this area?

She rubbed her arms as she stepped back inside the living room and closed the front door. “It’s kind of chilly for June.”

“We’ve had snow this time of year. Doesn’t happen often, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we had a few flurries.” Emma shuffled her feet toward the front door and turned to face Kate. “If you need anything, just come on over.” She lifted her wrinkled hand and waved as she closed the door behind her.

Emma moved across the yard at a snail’s pace. Kate only walked that slow when she was combing over every detail of a sale in one of the storefronts on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

She already missed home.
Shopping would be great right about now
. If she were back in Chicago, she would run her finger along the glass windows while dissecting every inch of the new outfits displayed in her favorite stores.

A story about Wintervale shops would be in order. She recalled seeing a bakery, a clothing store, and even a health food store. “The coffee shop,” Kate said aloud. “Mmm…that always makes a great story.”

Shaking the thought, Kate picked up her shoes off the porch where she’d left them the night before. Nothing but soggy leather. After their swim in the mud, they were most likely ruined. Still, she set them to the side to dry, hoping she wouldn’t have to carry them to the cobbler.

Trevor was stopping by tonight and Kate had plans to make. A romantic dinner and dessert would be a great start. Besides, she had to set the tone for a day she would never forget—the day Trevor became her fiancé.

“Cookies. Gotta get some cookies.” No man could resist coming into a house that smelled like baking cookies. The only glitch—Kate had never cooked anything worth talking about in her life. Her mother had never really taught her how to bake.
Thank you, Nestlé Toll House, for premade cookie dough. He’ll never know the difference.
She clapped her hands together as if she’d come up with such a fabulous idea.

***

The table glittered with pink plates, a pink tablecloth, and pink-tinged glasses.

Flames flickered on the candles in the middle of the table, giving the room a romantic glow.

Trevor would arrive any minute. She stood in front of the mirror and tucked her shirt into her jeans. She’d had a lot of compliments on this particular outfit since she bought it a month ago.

She arranged the fresh cookies on a plate and set it on the wood burning stove to get Trevor’s attention when he walked through the front door. She went into the bathroom and dabbed her neck and wrists with a little perfume.

Kate heard a vehicle pull up in the driveway and ran to the front door. Her nerves rattled her a bit. She held her hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath before exhaling, hoping her nerves would calm down. When she opened the door Will stepped out of his scratched-up, dent-covered truck.

“Oh, it’s just you,” Kate said. Her hip jutted out to the side.

He must’ve ignored her comment. Will slid his hands into his pockets and walked toward Kate. “Smells like cookies.”

She didn’t want to be rude. “Come on in. Would you like one?” She asked.

“I never pass on cookies.” His eyes grew big as he stepped through the doorway and grabbed three from the center of the plate. “It smells nice in here.”

Kate stared at the almost half-empty plate and looked back at him.

Will shoved another cookie in his mouth. “Did you make these?” He mumbled around the mouthful.

Kate rearranged the cookies. “Not really.” She wasn’t too worried whether or not he thought she could cook. She set the plate on the coffee table, hoping it would stay out of his reach before he ate them all. “Was there some special reason you came by?” She hoped he had more information about the mountain lion.

“To fix the leaky faucet.” He wiped the corners of his mouth with his hand. “I didn’t get a chance to get to it before now.”

“Why you?” Kate crinkled her forehead.

“I’m your landlord.” Will said. He raised his eyebrows fast a couple of times. “It’s my job.”

Will pointed at the dining room table set for two. “Looks like you have a hot date.” He backed up a little. “I’ll fix it and get out of your way.”

Kate shook her head. “It’s just Trevor. He’s on his way over, and I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Will pulled a tool from his pocket and disappeared behind the bathroom door. Within moments he emerged. “Finished.”

“Thanks. I appreciate—“

“I still don’t have any more info on the mountain lion. You have my number if you need me,” he said walking out the door. “Oh, and thanks for the cookies.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. Trevor pulled in seconds after Will left. When he stepped out of his car, she ran to embrace the man she would soon call her own.

As she got closer, she spotted a woman in the passenger seat.

“Who is that?” Kate whispered to Trevor.

“I wasn’t sure how to tell you. Ya know…after all we’ve been through.” Trevor gave her a quick hug and walked her to the other side of the car. “That’s Victoria . . . she’s my fiancé.”