Finding Kate Read online

  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. Th
ey’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.
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  “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.”

  Chapter Four

  Will tapped his fingers on the front counter of the Wild Animal Rescue Center. “How’s she doing?”

  “She’s OK. But, she’ll need some rehabilitation before being released back into the wild,” Thea said, sitting behind the front desk.

  A sigh of relief escaped Will. He wanted her to live and return to wild open spaces within Mesa Verde. “Can I see her?”

  “Sure. Follow me.” Thea led the way to the back of the office. “We have her in one of the more secure recovery areas. We didn’t want her disturbed by all the other animals, and we certainly didn’t want to stress out our other hairy little patients.” She laughed.

  Will stared at the wild animal lying in her large metal cage. Her eyes were closed and her chest rose and fell with each breath. He exhaled as though he’d been holding his breath.

  “Cathy plans to keep her somewhat sedated until she’s healed up a bit more. Fear of her surroundings might cause her to panic and keep her from healing properly.”

  Will knelt beside the cage to get a better look. Parts of her body had been shaved for the surgery. A long line of stitches ran like small train tracks on the cat’s light brown skin.

  “Cathy’s been talking with several universities about her. At one point, she had three veterinarians on speakerphone while performing the surgery.”

  “Will you tell her to call me if she needs anything?”

  “She already knows, Will.” Thea placed her hand on his arm.

  “Thanks.” He nodded, walked to the front of the building, opened the glass front door, and climbed into his truck.

  He might not be able to do anything for his feline friend, but maybe there’d be something he could do for Emma. On the road back to Wintervale he couldn’t get his good friend Emma out of his mind. After hearing of her recent brain cancer diagnosis, he wanted to make sure she was taken care of.

  ***

  All six feet of Victoria, Trevor’s fiancé, stepped out of the passenger side of his car as he held the door open for her. Her blonde hair flowed like a golden river halfway down her back. Her cowboy boots added another inch to her model frame.