“It’s never going to come out of my beard,” Alex lamented, looking in the mirror over the sink as he rinsed out the rag. “I hope you didn’t have much planned for today; we’ll goober up everything we touch.”
Katie joined Alex at the sink to rinse her rag and flinched at her reflection.
Fish slowed down, having worn himself out and paused to sniff Alex’s sock. Panting, he nosed the soaked bath mat into a pile, turned in a circle, and curled up for a nap.
“Look at him,” Katie said, her voice soft. “He looks so innocent.”
“He’s good at that,” Alex chuckled, hanging his rag over the side of the tub.
Katie hung her rag beside his and then turned to scrutinize Alex’s appearance with a grin. Her eyes came up to his, and her expression grew serious. “I didn’t know if you were ever coming back.”
“I came to check on the river.” He motioned over his shoulder, then realized that his answer wasn’t what she’d hoped to hear.
“Oh. How is it?” she asked, crestfallen.
He reached up to rub his beard in frustration, then remembered it was crusted with dirt and lowered his hand. “I, uh… I didn’t look.”
Her expression showed a bit of hope. “Why?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, cutting to the chase.
She looked down and rubbed at a smear of mud on her arm. When he didn’t say anymore, she glanced up at him through her eyelashes. “When I woke up you were gone. I thought—”
“You thought I’d gone off to re-enlist?” he scoffed. When she didn’t reply, he shifted his feet, then finally he spoke. “I woke up and heard the river.”
“I went out there and— I was scared—” she said, but before she could finish, he swept her up into his arms, his mud-streaked face only inches from hers.
His eyes searched hers, hoping she’d understand. “I’m sorry Katie, I didn’t mean to scare you, I had to go get help.”
When she looked away, he wondered how he could make her understand. “Katie, look at me.”
Her gaze came to his, and even though the moment was serious, the mud stuck on his mustache made it impossible for her to take him seriously. The corner of her mouth quivered with a grin.
“I’m serious,” he said pulling her closer, unwilling to waste the opportunity to make her understand. “I’m not going to leave you again.” Caught up in the moment, he leaned down and kissed her hard, mud be damned.
* * *
Katherine heard his words, and she wished she could believe them. She probably should believe them, considering he was standing in her bathroom, along with his wet dog, but…
The kiss caught her off guard, and she forgot all about the mud -- his lips, his breath, his hands on her back. He certainly kissed her like he meant to stick around.
Alex pulled back, watching as her eyes flickered open. He whispered in her ear, soft and low. “You taste like dirt.”
“Hmmm,” she moaned, still lost in the kiss, then his words pierced the reverie, and she pushed away, slapping him on the arm. “The dirt came from your beard!” she shot back.
“Probably,” he agreed, watching her indignation with a smile. This was the Katie he knew, the one who gave as good as she got. “Let’s go check on the water level, shall we?” He wished he could suggest heading to the bedroom instead, but it wasn’t the time for romance. Not quite yet.
As Katherine considered his suggestion, a horn blared outside, causing them both to jump. “The Mansion!” she cried, hurrying to push past Alex and get out the door.
Alex cast a glance at Fish over his shoulder but the little dog didn’t move, so he followed Katie through the kitchen and out the front door. They stopped at the bottom of the steps, both staring in wonder at the pickup truck towing the long silver trailer.
“It’s big!” Alex exclaimed, his eyes wide. She didn’t answer, so he marched across the field for a better look.
Katherine reached up to check her bun, belatedly realizing they were both still soaked and covered in mud. With an eye roll, she heaved out a long breath and headed out to greet the driver.
“What happened to you two?” the man asked with a grin as he climbed from his truck.
Alex ignored the question and simply nodded to the driver as he passed, then cupped his hand to peer through the bubble window in the door.
Following Alex’s example, Katherine put on her best snooty air and lifted her chin. “What do you mean?” she asked the man, barely able to stay serious as the driver looked blankly from her, to Alex, and back.
“Uh, could I get you to sign for this?” he asked, extending a clipboard. “Then, I’ll be on my way.”
“Certainly,” she said, using the attached pen to scribble her name. “But would you mind pulling the trailer into the correct lot for me before you go?”
The poor man scratched his head as he surveyed the muddy, ditch covered, mess of a campground. “Okay…”
The spot where she’d planned to put the trailer was pitted with rain-filled holes from sandbag filling, so Katherine pointed to another spot on the other side of the gravel road. “You can put it in number five.”
Again, the driver’s eyes searched the park, looking for any sign of a lot number or anything even vaguely resembling a parking spot.
She pointed. “The furthest spot, there, across the road.”
The man gave her a look that said he thought she was flat-out crazy, then returned to his truck with the paperwork. He backed the trailer into position next to the electric meter and left, offering a wave of dismissal as he pulled away.
“This thing is amazing,” Alex said, his face bright with interest under the mud smears. He circled the trailer, bending to inspect the skirt, his hand smoothing along the silver metal.
Katherine watched him inspect her investment and it felt right ... which felt wrong.
“Let’s check out the inside,” he said, trying the door.
Katherine stepped in front of him to put the key in the lock. She swung the door open and hefted herself up first, then moved out of the way for him to enter. It was dark inside and hot -- stifling actually. He left the door open, and she hurried to crank open the windows in the living room.
“It has a full kitchen,” Alex said as he headed through the trailer. He opened and closed the fridge, then bent to peer into the oven.
Having a hard time focusing on the trailer and not the man, Katherine tore her eyes away to inspect the ceiling. Burt had done a good job replacing the water-damaged wood around the living room roof vent. The linoleum was new, according to Burt, but it looked vintage. No one would ever know. The stainless-steel countertops looked good; Burt had obviously put some work into those. Empty rods were in place over the windows with no curtains on them. One of the many things on her To-Do list.
“There’s a tub like yours,” Alex called from the bathroom.
She knew what was in the bathroom, Burt had kept her updated with photos as he worked. It was Alex and everything that went with him that had her concerned.
“You gotta see this,” he called from the bedroom.
With a sigh and a swipe at the muddy hair hanging in her face, she headed toward his voice.
“Check out this window,” he said, standing beside the empty wood mattress support. “It cranks down like a car window!”
She only nodded, taking in the mud-smeared man. He looked happier than she’d ever seen him. Since she’d arrived back in town, anyway. His surly, flippant attitude was gone, replaced with the enthusiastic boy she’d known, causing her heart to turn in her chest. What had happened to him over there, she wondered, thinking of the horrific scar on his leg.
“This place is fantastic,” Alex went on, caught up in the moment. “I can see that your old guy did a lot of work on it.”
She watched as he opened and closed drawers and cupboards.
“I’d love to work on one of these,” he continued. “How much did this cost?”
“Before Bur
t worked on it or after?”
He paused, finally realizing that her mood didn’t match his. “Before,” he said, watching her face for some indication of what was happening.
“I’d have to look it up,” she lied, feeling the need to keep her business to herself.
Now he knew she was upset. Circling the end of the bed support, he came to stand in front of her, his eyes searching hers. “What’s wrong?”
She shrugged, looking at the floor.
“I didn’t mean to step on your toes here—”
She shook her head, not sure what exactly troubled her.
Alex reached up and swiped a glop of mud off Katie’s cheek, then held it up on his finger. “That dog…”
Offering him a weak smile, her mood shifted. “He’s adorable.”
“He’s a problem.”
Her brow crinkled. “How can you say that?”
He wiped the mud on his pants, then moved around the foot of the bed to crank down the other window. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with him on the next job.”
She hadn’t thought about that. What would happen to Fish when Alex had to work inside all day, or the humidity and heat were unrelenting, like today? The thought of not seeing Fish on a daily basis was distressing, but she had no right to see the little dog, and she knew it.
“It’s hot in here,” Alex said, squeezing past her to open the back door of the trailer. “Whew, not much better outside, is it?”
No words came to Katherine. No suggestions, no ideas, no anything. What was happening?
“Determined to keep the conversation moving, Alex stood in the doorway watching her in speculation. “This trailer is a lot like yours.”
She offered a tentative smile, caught up in the way he pushed a lock of hair off his forehead. His movements were so familiar sometimes, almost as if he hadn’t been gone for a decade.
“I’d be interested in seeing that movie you mentioned,” he said, reaching up to touch the new weather stripping around the inside of the door. “You know, the one with Lucille Ball in it?” his eyes came to hers. “Would you show it to me?”
Katherine knew the DVD was in the cupboard over her sofa, but the only TV in her trailer was in the bedroom. If she invited him over, that would mean they’d snuggle up on her bed to watch, and— “Here?” she asked, thinking of being wrapped in his arms in the glowing light of her TV.
He frowned. “Well, my place is a mess, not really set up for visitors.”
She accepted that. She’d learned from Julia that he lived over his dad’s garage. But the vision of them in her bedroom persisted, along with a strange feeling low in her abdomen. Inspecting the feeling, she decided it felt wonderful and horrible at the same time. She wanted Alex, there was no denying that, but she was terrified, horrified, and just plain mad about it.
He moved closer, taking her hand.
Sweat ran down the center of her back and beaded on her upper lip.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice serious, his gaze darting from her mouth to her eyes, then back to her mouth.
Just kiss me, her heart screamed
Get away from me! Her brain countered.
She pushed away from the bedroom doorjamb and past Alex to jump out the back door of the trailer. Finally able to breathe, she squinted up at him, cracking the mud on her cheeks. “Will you bring the popcorn?”
A smile bloomed slowly under his stiff, mucky, beard. “I will.”
She cocked her hip. “Okay then, you and me, tonight, here, with Desi and Lucy.”
He jumped down from the trailer and reached for her, drawing her close. “I’ll even shower,” he said.
“Oh, will you,” she replied, her eyes fixed on his lips, undaunted by his crusty beard.
A kiss was the only answer he supplied.
* * *
Alex stretched his chin up and pulled the razor down his neck. “There,” he said, turning his head to one side then the other, inspecting the reflection of his trimmed beard. “That looks better.”
He rinsed the sink and tightened the towel around his hips. Heading across his room, he tugged on a clean pair of jeans as Fish gnawed on his chew toy.
“You want to go with me tonight?” Alex asked the little dog.
The puppy ignored him, so Alex walked to the dresser. With a grunt, he bent to move the cardboard box blocking his way. He pulled a pair of socks from his drawer, then stood staring at the box by his feet. Finally, he reached down to lift one of the many books that he’d found stored in his dad’s basement.
The leather-bound volume was heavy in his hand, and he turned it to read the spine. The World of Greek Myths. He remembered the day he’d bought the book. He’d found it at an estate sale when he was seventeen, and it had been one of his most cherished possessions.
With socks in his hand, he placed the book on the top of his dresser and memories flashed through his mind -- him reading the book in his bedroom, writing a report for English class, regaling Katie with his favorite stories from its pages.
He especially remembered one night, in the pitch blackness of the desert as he stared up at the stars, waiting for the enemy to retreat. With mortars crashing in the distance, he had repeated a hazy version of Ptolemy’s words to himself. “I know that I am mortal by nature, and ephemeral, but when I trace the windings of the heavenly bodies, I no longer touch the earth with my feet.”
He pondered the worn leather binding of the book, then as if it were a precious treasure, he rested his palm on the cover.
* * *
Winnie replaced the café menu behind the salt and pepper shakers and glanced up at Marge. “I think I’ll just have a salad today.”
The waitress frowned. “Bud came in early to make corned beef and cabbage. You know how he can be…”
Winnie chuckled. “Yes, I do. Fine then, bring me the corned beef.”
“Lovely,” Marge grinned. “And you two ladies?” she asked Tara and Isabelle, seated across the table.
“Babababab!” yelled the baby as she crammed a cracker into her little mouth, spitting cracker crumbs across the table.
“Oh, for heaven sakes,” Tara sighed.
Winnie and Marge laughed, amused by the baby’s antics.
“I’ll take the corned beef too,” Tara said, scooping up crumbs with a napkin. “Bella will just have fries.”
“And more crackers?” Marge offered.
“No, please!” Tara begged, looking for a place to deposit the napkin full of crumbs.
Marge extended her hand to take it. “Where are you ladies headed after lunch?”
“We were considering going out to visit Katie,” Winnie said. “But I know they’re busy working; I don’t want to interrupt and make Katie feel as if she has to stop and entertain us.”
“Well,” Marge started, raising one hand to block her words from the rest of the empty café. “Mac told Steve that Alex is going back out there this evening for a date, so I have to wonder how much work is actually getting done.”
Tara’s eyes lit up. “An official date, huh?” Then she waved off Marge’s insinuation. “Katie is a determined girl, I’m sure she’s making sure the trailers and the park are finished. But a date sounds interesting...” She handed the baby another cracker, and her brows lowered in thought. “What do you do for a date in a tiny vintage trailer in the middle of nowhere?”
Winnie sputtered into her red plastic tumbler of water. Lowering the glass to the table, she dabbed at her lips with a napkin before she spoke. “Tara, dear, if you have to ask that, perhaps it’s time I offered to take Isabelle for an evening so you can have a date with that handsome husband of yours.”
* * *
Filled with nervous energy, Katherine bustled around her house, fluffing already plump pillows and wiping clean countertops. Stopping in front of her pantry cupboard, she placed her hand on the door handle.
“No,” she blustered, turning away. She stared out the window. After a long moment, she turned back
to glare at the cupboard door. With her hip cocked against the counter, she chewed on the side of her lower lip.
Deep in thought, she pushed away from the counter and stepped up to the pantry cupboard, slowly opening the door. Reaching her hand in, way to the back, she withdrew a bottle of wine and frowned down at the label.
She’d been saving the wine to toast her new park, and now that five trailers were on site and the utilities were in, it seemed like a good time to open the bottle. She turned to pull open the pump handle on the fridge door and placed the bottle on a rack, then closed the door.
But she knew that chilling the wine had nothing to do with toasting her success, and everything to do with Alex.
“Crap,” she huffed, yanking the fridge back open. In a snit, she snatched up the bottle of wine and practically tossed it back into the pantry, then slammed the cupboard door.
“You’re an idiot,” she chided herself, unsure if she was angry about inviting Alex, knowing full well it was a bad idea, or angry that she couldn’t seem to make a decision about the man and be done with it.
Pacing the length of the kitchen, she wrung her hands. “Stop this, Katherine,” she instructed. “You are a grown woman. You can have a man over and do whatever you please.”
The thought of Alex, naked and twisted in her bed sheets, sprung to mind and she flushed. It had been so long. Soooo very long.
She wandered to the cupboard, opened the door and reached for the wine. Staring down at the bottle, she could imagine herself handing Alex a half-filled wine glass. He’d hold the stem of the delicate glass with those wonderful long fingers of his, but instead of tasting it, he’d set it aside, too engrossed with her to bother with wine. He’d kiss her tenderly, sweet as the wine, with his hands framing her face and…
She opened the refrigerator and placed the bottle carefully inside. Still in a daze, she headed to her bedroom to change her clothes. The sundress she’d changed into after her shower was too strappy and hard to undo.
She halted as visions of waking up with Alex flashed in her mind.
Hometown Series Box Set Page 116
