Mackinnons #02 For All the Right Reasons (15 page)

He grinned. “You can’t blame me for trying.”

“And you can’t blame me for taking the broom after you like I would do any other pest,” she said, making a dive for the broom. Adrian laughed and headed out the door, running to the wagon and climbing up the wheel to the seat, Katherine giving his backside a good dusting on his way up.

She was smiling at him when he picked up the reins and said with a grin, “I swear you’re getting as cantankerous as that old mule of yours.”

“Clovis isn’t cantankerous. He just likes to bite…and eat irises,” she added.

Adrian guided the mare in a circle and turned the wagon. “I’m off, then. Sure you won’t change your mind?”

“Have you ever known me to change my mind?”

“There’s always a first time.”

She laughed. “Maybe so, but it isn’t going to happen today.”

“You should have been a banker,” he said. “You’re all business.”

“And you should have stayed a child. All you want to do is play.”

“Only with you, Katherine,” he said softly, then he slapped the mare and headed toward town.

Katherine shook her head and walked back to the house. The rhubarb had cooked down sufficiently and she ladled it into jars. While they cooled on the kitchen table, Katherine took her fishing pole from the back porch, picked up a bucket and walked toward the garden to dig worms. When she had enough worms squirming around in her bucket, she headed on down to the creek, anxious to spend an hour or two in the cool shade along the water.

Her hook baited and in the water, Katherine sat down on a large rounded rock and waited. The creek was slower now than it had been earlier in the spring. She studied the glassy surface reflecting the sun like a million tiny mirrors, the darting movement of a dragonfly as he dipped down to the water repeatedly. There wasn’t a breath of air coming through the trees and the heat was stifling. Laying her pole carefully to one side, Katherine loosed the collar of her dress and opened a few buttons and removed her bonnet. Then she removed her shoes and inched her way along the rock until her feet were in the water. She sighed blissfully. Indeed, it was much cooler this way, she thought as she picked up her pole.

“From what I can see from here, I don’t know why you don’t have at least a dozen fish jumping on your line, just to be the first one you catch,” said a deep, rumbling voice behind her. “Caught anything yet?”

Katherine whirled in surprise, and seeing Alex step through the trees and come up beside her, she released the breath she had so hastily drawn in. “It must run in your family,” she said. “Every blessed time I see you or Adrian it’s
after
you’ve come sneaking up on me and scared me out of a year’s growth.”

His teasing glance slid over her from the top of her dark head with its fiery red highlights to the small feet dangling in the water. “You’re not much bigger than a minute already. I’m afraid losing a year’s growth would make you disappear completely.”

“There are times when that thought is almost appealing.”

“Really? Why would you say that?”

She tilted her head to one side and thought about it. “Oh, I don’t know. Haven’t you ever wished you could just disappear?”

“Only if I could reappear someplace else. I wouldn’t want it to be anything permanent.”

She laughed. “Oh, neither would I.” Then her features fell back into place. “What are you doing down here this time of day?”

“I had my heart set on a fish dinner.” His eyes drifted over to where her pole dangled over the water. “Same as you, apparently.”

“Well, I hope you have better luck than I’m having. I’ve caught one pathetic perch that wouldn’t fill a gnat.”

“Where is he?”

“I threw it back with a message to find the biggest catfish in the creek and send him my way.”

“What are you using for bait?”

“Worms.”

“That’s why you’re catching perch.”

“What do you catch catfish with?”

“Blood bait.”

“Blood bait? Ugggh! It sounds horrible.”

He laughed. “It is.”

“What’s it made of?” Seeing the glint in his eye, she added, “Besides
blood
.”

“A fellah would have to get up before daylight to snag you, wouldn’t he? How do you manage to always stay a jump ahead?”

“Luck, I guess. You were going to tell me about blood bait.”

“Not much to tell. I mix a little flour, cornmeal, and blood and let it sit for a few days.”

“And then what? Throw it out?”

He laughed. “I’ve been tempted. Here, I’ll get mine and show you.” He turned away. “I’ll be right back.”

She watched him rattle his way through the trees, wondering why he was so much noisier going than he had been coming. A minute later he reappeared with his pole and a bucket. He climbed onto the rock beside her and pulled a small tin out of the bucket. “Blood bait?” she asked.

“As fine as can be found anywhere.” He twisted the lid. “Your first introduction to blood bait can be somewhat overwhelming,” he said, pulling the lid off.

The foul odor almost gagged her, and Katherine had always prided herself on having a strong stomach. “Merciful heavens! I wouldn’t eat
anything
that ate that. Put the lid back on.
Please!
” When he ignored her plea, Katherine picked up the hem of her skirt and brought it up to cover her nose. “You aren’t going to put your hand in there, are you?”

“Now you can’t be that squeamish. I’ve seen you clean hogs, remember?”

“Not even hogs smell that bad. That smells worse than a gut wagon.”

“It has to smell bad so it won’t lose its potency in the water.”

“That wouldn’t lose potency in an ocean full of water. How are you going to get it on your hook?”

He pinched a hunk and replaced the lid before rolling it into a ball and shaping it over the end of his hook. “Want to try some?”

“No, thank you. I’ll stick to worms.”

“And perch,” he said confidently and cast his hook into the water. They fished in silence for a few minutes, then Alex said, “How about making a little wager?”

She narrowed her eyes at him in a distrustful way that made him laugh. “What kind of wager?”

“Something for the one who catches the most fish.”

“Perch included?”

“They’re fish, aren’t they?”

“Size makes no difference?”

“They have to be big enough to be seen with the naked eye.”

She laughed. “What do you want to wager?”

“Ladies first. Tell me what you’ll forfeit if you catch more fish than I do.”

“I thought I’d win something if I catch the most.”

“We’ve changed the rules a bit.”

“I’m to give you something if I catch more fish than you do?”

“Right. So, what are you going to give me?”

“A rhubarb pie.”

“Fresh?”

“Baked today.”

“No slices taken out of it, either.”

It was her turn to laugh. “Not unless they’ve been taken since I left it to cool on the kitchen table. Now, what about you? What do you give me if you catch the most fish?”

“A week’s labor.”

Her face fell. “Pick something else.”

“I accepted your terms, you have to accept mine.” Katherine didn’t respond right away, because Alex’s cork went under water and Alex yelped, springing to his feet. Giving the pole a yank, he exclaimed, “It’s a big one, I’ll have to draw the line in by hand.”

Katherine watched him work the line to the bank and land a nice catfish that weighed at least a pound. While Alex ran a cord through the fish’s mouth and gills, Katherine quietly pulled her hook out of the water, hoping he wouldn’t see. “You giving up already?”

“No, I was just checking my bait.”

Alex nodded toward the worm wiggling on her hook. “Everything looks in order to me,” he said, laughing when she slung the worm back into the water.

“Oh, be quiet!” she said.

“You’re going to sling that worm right off your hook if you don’t ease up a little.”

“Is there anything else you want to point out that I don’t do right, Mr. Know-It-All?”

“Nope.”

“Good, then I’ll thank you to remain quiet if you’re going to sit here.”

“Now, where were we? Oh yes, you had just accepted my terms.”

“I did nothing of the sort!”

“It doesn’t matter anyway. You were free to offer what you wished with or without my approval, just as I am. Now, I’m going to give you a week of my labor, and the only way you can stop me, Miss Stubborn, is to outfish me.”

Just about that time, Alex let out another yelp and Katherine saw his cork go under water. “Are these fish friends of yours?” she grumbled as she watched him pull in another catfish that outweighed the other one by at least half a pound.

He cast her a teasing grin and picked up the tin, offering it to her. “Wanna try a little blood bait?”

“Go to the devil!” she said, scooting farther away from him when he laughed outright.

A few minutes later he landed another catfish. And another one not long after that. When he pulled in the fifth one, Katherine, who had never looked so dejected and glum said, “Pass me the blood bait.”

For a full minute Alex couldn’t lift his own head, let alone the tin of blood bait, for he was weak from laughter. But one glance at Katherine told him she didn’t think it was a bit funny. “Sorry,” he said, the picture of contriteness, and handed her the tin. “Want me to put it on for you?”

“And lick your fingers when you’re through!’,’ she snapped. “I’ll bait my own hook, thank you.”

“Suit yourself,” he said, leaning back to watch. He would have never thought to see a woman tackle blood bait like Katherine did and he had to hand it to her. She was a trooper through and through. He had to admit she was a little green around the edges by the time she got the hook baited and into the water, but she did it. He had a quick glimpse of Karin doing the same, and recognizing how unfair that was, quickly dismissed the thought. Karin had other qualities that warmed his heart.

The thought of Karin made him a bit reflective and he remembered the way she had been yesterday when he’d dropped by and caught her in a sunny yellow dress and crisp white apron. She had a feather duster in her hand when she answered the door, and he had asked her what she was up to. Her answer had been, “As you can see, I’m dusting.”

He had followed her into the house and she fixed him a cup of coffee, telling him to take a seat on the sofa while she dusted the furniture. In one of her playful moods, she had taken a swipe I or two at him, then, laughing, she began dusting him in earnest. He was laughing so hard, he sucked two loose feathers down his throat and almost choked to death. Once he’d quit choking, she had kissed him, telling him how sorry she was. He grabbed her duster and began pulling feathers out, tossing them about the room.

“Alex, whatever are you doing?”

“Trying to suck a couple more down my craw,” he’d said, laughing. “I like the way you tell me you’re sorry.”

“Oh Alex, you don’t have to swallow feathers to get me to do that,” she’d said. She kissed him, just to prove her point.

But his heart went out to Katherine a few minutes later when she caught her first catfish, and it was bigger than any of his. Never had he thought she could be as lovely as she was at that moment when the fish cleared the water. “Saint Sebastian!” she exclaimed. “It’s bigger than yours! It’s a bloody alligator!”

“No, Katy, my lass, it’s not. But it is as hefty a catfish as I’ve ever seen. I bet it’s at least four pounds.”

“Fanny Bright told me she’s heard of catfish growing to weigh twenty or thirty pounds.”

“Not in this creek,” he said. “Around here I wouldn’t think you’d catch one over seven or eight pounds, if that.”

Alex caught another fish a few minutes later. The fish seemed to quit biting after that. It was late in the evening when Alex stood and said, “I guess that’s going to be it for today. Word seems to have gotten around about us. I don’t think we’ll catch any more now.” He looked at Katherine, feeling a tenderness for her. She never had been one to take losing well, being of the school that thought hard work would put her ahead. But some things just weren’t won, no matter how hard you worked.

He offered her his hand. “Come on,” he said jovially. “I’ll give you a chance to get even next week.”

Katherine sighed, placing her hand in his. “Oh! Wait! I’ve got to put my shoes back on.”

He pulled his fish and Katherine’s out of the water while Katherine put her shoes on. When she finished, she watched him. He looked so handsome and so tall. She remembered how they had played “Vikings raiding England” when they were children, and how he was always the Viking. In truth, he looked the part even now.

“Wake up,” he said, and Katherine’s head snapped up to see him standing over her, his hand extended.

“Oh!” she said, feeling her face flush. She allowed him to pull her to her feet, feeling the loss when he had her on her feet and withdrew his hand.

“Come on. I’ll walk you home. We’ll clean our fish there.”

They walked and he talked, and Katherine paid hardly any attention to what he was saying. She was lost in the sound of his voice, so deep and full of authority. She wanted him to go on like this forever. She wanted so many things. But her house was looming larger in the distance and the closer they drew, the more she felt the old prison walls close in. When they reached the house, Alex stopped and looked at her a moment in a very intent way. For a split second she thought he was going to say something, but then she saw he had apparently thought better of it. It was strange how many times this happened, when she had the feeling he was about to say something to her, to share some thought or other that would draw them closer, and then he would stop himself.
Just once, I’d like to see him let the moment carry it out without any interference
. He couldn’t be that indifferent her, no matter how much he loved her sister. He simply couldn’t.

Chapter Seven

Apparently Fanny thought two weeks was just too long to go without seeing her friend, and she wasn’t going to let one more day pass until she dropped by Katherine’s for a hot cup of coffee and some warm conversation. Up at the crack of dawn, she lit out one morning, making a beeline for the Simon place. Once she arrived she wasted no time opening the back door and sticking her head into the kitchen, calling out her customary, “Yooo-hoo, anybody home?” Before anyone had a chance to tell her if they were home or not, she let go with another blast. “Yooooou-hooooo! Katherine, are you here?”