Manhunting (13 page)

“So how’s the bar doing?” Kate asked.

Nancy shrugged. “Could be better. We’re getting along. Toby’s Corners likes us.”

“You could be pulling in more of the clientele from the resort,” Kate said. “Valerie is absolutely right about that. And those people have money.” She looked around the cozy room. “They’d pay premium prices for this ambience, spit and all.”

Nancy shook her head. “We’d have to clean the place up, build on, buy in bigger quantities, all that business stuff. I’m not a businesswoman. I just like selling drinks and talking to people.”

Kate sipped her beer and thought about the situation. It was harder than usual because the beer was making her head swim, but she knew what she had to do. “I’m a businesswoman,” she said. “Let me help you.”

“What?”

“You can make this place profitable without too much trouble,” Kate said. “For one thing, your prices are too low. You can’t be selling your drinks at much above cost.”

“Kate, people in Toby’s Corners don’t have a lot of money.”

“Then charge the resort people more. Tell the town people there’s a frequent drinker’s discount if they show up at least once a week for a month. You have to build up some capital, invest in this place, and then refinance those mortgages.”

“Kate, I told you—”

“I know, I know, Will won’t foreclose. But I think you’re underestimating Valerie.” Kate struggled to concentrate. “First, work on a plan to expand. When you’ve got that, find a silent partner to pump some money in here in return for a share of the profits. Although...” Kate slowed to consider. “Actually, you’d be better off finding some MBA who needs a hobby. You could use a business partner.”

“No, thank you,” Nancy said. “This is my bar.”

“Okay,” Kate said. “I can understand that. Find a silent partner, but make it a formal, legal partnership, no more handshake mortgages with guys who are sleeping with barracudas.”

Nancy shook her head, but she looked thoughtful as she sipped her beer. “And you could make this business plan?”

“It’s what I do,” Kate said. “Usually I ask for an obscene fee, but I’ll do it for you for free drinks for the rest of my life.”

“Deal,” Nancy said suddenly, holding out her hand. “Let’s see the plan first. Then I’ll decide.”

“Fair enough,” Kate said, taking her hand. “I’m going to enjoy this. I’ve never rescued a bar before.”

“Why does the sight of the two of you shaking hands make me nervous?” Jake said from behind them.

“Because you’re a wimp,” Kate said, rolling her head back unsteadily.

“Never give this woman booze,” Jake said to Nancy. “She’s not a drinker.”

“Don’t pick on my pal,” Nancy said, getting up to go help Ben. “We’ve got big plans. Watch the bar while Ben and I do the register, will you?”

“Sure,” Jake said.

“I think I’ll go back to the cabins now.” Kate slid unsteadily off her stool.

“You can’t hold your beer, kid.” Jake moved in close to support her. “I’d give up drinking the stuff if I were you. I’ll drive you home.”

“I’m perfectly capable of driving home.”

This was so blatantly untrue that they both ignored it, and she sat back down.

“Who’s gonna get us a couple more beers?” a guy at the end of the counter called.

“Coming right up.” Jake went around to the other side of the bar to serve them.

“One for me, too, please,” Kate said.

“You bet.” Jake poured her a cup of coffee.

“You are no fun.”

“I’m just trying to make sure your liver lasts until you get back to the city.”

“My liver is in incredible shape.”

“Was in incredible shape. You’ve pickled it since the last time you looked.”

He went to serve the others and she sipped her coffee, watching him. He said, “Last drinks, boys,” and gave one of the men a beer and the other one coffee.

“I wanted a beer,” the man snarled.

“I know you did,” Jake said. “It’s a damn shame.”

“Yeah,” the guy said sadly. He sipped his coffee.

“How do you do that?” Kate asked Jake when he came back.

“What?”

“All these tough guys get ready to bash you and then they don’t.”

“You mean Henry? Henry McCrum wouldn’t hurt anybody.” He picked up a glass from a tray under the bar and began to polish it. “Henry’s my old biology teacher. In fact he still teaches. Great guy, Henry. His wife, Millie, runs the bakery.”

“He’s a teacher and he drinks?”

“That’s why he drinks. The man’s been teaching biology to teenagers for twenty-eight years. It’s a miracle he’s sane. Sober would be too much to ask.”

“And the other man?”

Jake glanced over. “That’s Early. He’s my uncle, and he’s walking home.”

Kate shook her head, marveling. “Do you know everybody around here?”

“Mostly. I grew up here.”

“And then you moved to the city.”

“Yep.”

“And then you came back here and saved Toby’s Corners.”

Jake scowled at her. “I did not. I told you before, Will did. Who fed you that garbage?”

“Nancy,” Kate said. “She’s offered me a job. She’s going to teach me to be a barmaid.”

“You’ll drink the profits.”

“I will not.”

“Kid, I’ve only known you two days and I’ve seen you plastered three times.” He shook his head. “A bar would not be a good career move for you.”

“Twice.” Kate held up two fingers. “You’ve seen me plastered twice. I tried to get drunk at the luau, but it didn’t work. I was perfectly sober when I pushed Lance into the pool. I’d do it again in a minute, too.”

“Well, it’s good to know you don’t have any regrets.”

“You make it sound like I’m a lush. This is only the second time I’ve been drunk in years.”

“And I got to be with you both times.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just try not to pass out on me before I get you into bed.”

Kate dropped her coffee cup.

“Let me rephrase that,” he said, wiping up the spill. “Hauling your unconscious body into your cabin and dumping it on your bed is work for a younger man than I.”

“I’m not that heavy.”

“As a dead weight, you are.”

“Forgive me.” Kate drew herself up from the bar with dignity. “I will certainly stay conscious.”

“Good. Hold that thought.”

Jake went off to take Henry and Early’s money.

“So you’ve got a mortgage on Nancy’s bar,” Kate said when he came back.

Jake winced. “Did she show you her underwear, too?”

“What are you talking about?” Kate asked.

“Well, she seems to have spilled her guts about everything else.”

“She was just explaining to me that if you wanted to close this bar, you could foreclose on the mortgage.”

“Why would I want to close this bar?” Jake asked, bewildered.

“So you can open one at the resort,” Kate said.

“Oh, right.” Jake nodded. “The Valerie angle. You can forget that. It’s not happening.”

“Valerie,” Kate said, shaking her head. “She seems to think we’re two of a kind. She wants me for a role model. Do you think I’m like Valerie?”

“No,” Jake said. “You’re not at all alike.”

Kate closed her eyes. “Thank you,” she said. “I would really have hated it if you’d thought we were alike.”

Jake looked thoughtful. “So you told Nancy about Valerie’s idea?”

“Penny said we should warn her. I thought we should stay out of it, but then I met Nancy, and, well, you know...”

“I know. Is Nancy worried?”

“No. She thinks you and Will are Santa Claus.”

Jake grinned. “And what do you think?”

Kate looked at him. “I don’t know Will at all, but you are definitely not Santa Claus. I don’t know what you are. Disturbing, I guess. But I trust you. Nancy’s right. She’s safe. But, boy, somebody’d better stop Valerie.”

“Oh, somebody will,” Jake said mildly. “What do you mean, disturbing?”

“I don’t know,” Kate said, studying him. “I haven’t got it figured out yet. Don’t I disturb you?”

“Constantly,” Jake said. “Drunks make me nervous.”

“You’re ducking the question,” Kate said. “But I’m so tired, I don’t care. Say good-night, Jake, and take me home.”

Jake saw her to the door and left. Nice man. Kate stripped off her clothes. She had pajamas somewhere, but they sounded like too much effort. She fell naked into the bed and it creaked under her. Nice sound. She crawled under the covers and curled up to sleep.

She’d had a wonderful time tonight at the bar. They were all such good people. And she was really looking forward to helping Nancy with the bar. That could be a lot of fun. A small business, not a big corporation. Running everything herself. Maybe she’d buy a bar when she got home.

She tried to picture herself with a little neighborhood bar, and it looked wonderful until her father walked in and sneered at it, the way Donald had sneered at Toby’s Corners all day. They were wrong, but she knew that it mattered to her. She had to work at something she could be proud of.
Come on, Kate,
she told herself.
Back to your plan. You’re wasting time hanging out with Jake. Tomorrow you’re going to get serious about finding a man you can build a successful business with.

That wasn’t particularly appealing so she added,
And tomorrow you’re going to save Nancy’s bar.
She closed her eyes and smiled to herself and when she opened them again it was very early morning, the sun coming weakly through the window as it crept its way into the sky.
I feel so good here, she thought. I can do anything here. I can even possibly save a bar bare-handed.

She thought of how proud Jessie would be of her, and then of how proud Jake would be, although he’d never tell her so, and Jake made her think of the lake, and then she remembered Jessie, saying that somebody exciting would swim in the nude. This early, the lake would be deserted and cool, so cool. The water would slide over her like silk.

I’m exciting,
she thought.
So there, Jessie.

She pulled on a cotton shift and left the cabin to walk down the path to the lake.

It was cold in the woods, and she shivered a little. She breathed in the smell of the woods and the breeze and the lake, smelling the water even before she saw it.

It was even more beautiful in the early morning, like rippled glass.

This was it. She took a deep breath and then kicked off her sandals and pulled off her shift and went naked into the water as if going to a lover.

It was cold, but she walked into the water steadily, feeling her skin tighten and the muscles in her stomach contract When she was hip-deep, she dived in.

The water broke over her head, and she twisted in the cold, reveling in the feel of the water on her body as her muscles tensed. She came to the surface and stretched out her arms as she trod water, feeling the cool early-morning sun on her face, and then dived and swam again and again, as free as if she were ten years old, as alive as if she’d been making love. She never wanted to put on clothes again.

After half an hour, she turned to swim back to shore and saw Jake sitting by her clothes. At least she figured it was Jake. It was certainly his hat.

She swam in to the shore until she could almost stand shoulder-deep in the water. He just sat there, his forearms on his knees, his hands dangling in front of him, watching her tread water.

“Hello,” she said.

“Morning,” he said, grinning at her.

Go away,
she thought, but she smiled back, trying to act unconcerned. “Did you come to watch?”

“No. I came to swim.”

“Well, come on in.” She gestured behind her. “There’s plenty of room.”

“Well, now, I don’t know.” He pushed his hat back a little farther on his head. “Are you naked?”

“Yes.”

“Then there’s not plenty of room.” He shook his head. “I’ll go in when you come out.”

Kate almost asked him to put his hat over his eyes.

She knew he’d do it, but if she was going to swim in the nude, she should have the courage of her convictions. After all, it was just Jake.

On the other hand, even if it was just Jake, she was still embarrassed for him to see her naked.

While she pondered, he watched her, laughter in his eyes.

The hell with you,
she thought.
Laugh at this, buddy.
“All right,” she said. “The lake is yours.”

She swam toward him until the water was waist deep, and then walked out.

Jake didn’t move. In fact, he seemed frozen. She walked up beside him and bent to pick up her T-shirt. He was only inches away from her, and he turned and watched her as she bent. Then she straightened and arched her back to pull the shift over her head. The cotton stuck to the water on her body and it took a lot longer than she liked before she finally got it pulled over her hips.

“Well, you’ve certainly improved my morning,” Jake said.

“Anything to oblige.” Kate picked up her towel and scuffed on her sandals. “Have a nice swim,” she said and walked into the woods, her heart beating like mad.

Jake sat there for a while after she’d gone, stunned.

She’d looked so funny in the lake, biting her lip, trying to figure out what to do, and then, just when he’d been about to turn his back, she’d gotten that look in her eye and come walking out of the lake toward him.

Ben was right. She was no kid.

He’d felt like a rabbit caught in headlights. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her body, round and full and taut with the cold. She’d strolled out of the lake like a goddess, and if it had taken one more second for her to pull that cotton thing on, he’d have reached for her.

He closed his eyes. Narrow escape. In fact, it would be a good idea to stay away from Kate since she was turning out to be the most confusing woman he’d ever known. He’d thought she was just another empty suit, but out on the lake she was the best company he’d ever had. He’d thought she was a snob, but she defended Nancy against Valerie. He’d thought she was cold, but she swam naked in the lake and, from the expression on her face, loved it. He’d thought she was an attractive woman, but lately her beauty was beginning to take on mythic proportions in his dreams.

And what he’d seen today was not going to help matters.