Cutter Mountain Rendezvous

by Barbara Weitz

  Chapter Fifteen

  “He didn’t say goodbye.”

  Kate’s eyes flew open to see Lindsay at her bedside, near tears and in her pajamas. “Are you sure?” Kate whipped back the covers and rushed downstairs with Lindsay behind her. The kitchen door was closed and locked. “How do you know?”

  “I saw from my bedroom window.”

  Kate unlocked the kitchen door. White paper was stuck in the crease and fluttered to the floor. The note was from Colton. She looked into Lindsay’s round blue eyes. “He has errands in town. He’ll be back before you leave. How about we eat breakfast then get you cleaned up. It’s a big day today. Are you excited?”

  Lindsay shook her head enthusiastically.

  “Good,” Kate said over her racing heart. She would need more than a few moments to calm down after the abrupt wake up call. Although she had told Colton to leave, she was grateful he had enough sense to know Lindsay would be devastated if he were gone when she awoke. She had to admit she would have also felt cheated. Her heart ached with relief as she pulled out cereal bowls.

  Colton hadn’t returned by the time they had eaten and gotten dressed so Lindsay went outside to play on the porch and wait. “Don’t get dirty.”

  Minutes ticked like hours.

  She went upstairs to finish packing Lindsay’s suitcase. On edge and sorry the perfect evening Colton orchestrated was ruined, she sat on the bed with the open suitcase. She threw the packing list inside. How many times did she need to check it? Everything was packed. The kitty clock on Lindsay’s nightstand indicated Trey was due in an hour.

  The tree swing Colton made for Lindsay creaked. She had done nothing except play with her horses and swing as she awaited Colton’s return.

  “Where is he?” Tears made slow paths down her hot cheeks. Tired and cranky was proving a poor combination in keeping her emotions under control. She wished she hadn’t read the note to Lindsay. It would have been better to say he had to leave for Chicago than he not return in time to say goodbye.

  Men had let her down her whole life. What made her think Colton was any different? Money was what mattered to him. She might have played like the news of his bribe hadn’t affected her, when in truth, it rocked her world. That and the confirmation he spent time with a lawyer named Sasha Silberstine. Knowing her name made it worse.

  To think she almost made love to him last night. Had Lindsay not been there, she doubted she would have had the strength to resist him. She’d been fantasizing about him for days. The memory of his warm hand and hard body pressed into hers left her in a constant state of desire.

  The crunch of gravel under tires and Lindsay’s squeal sent Kate to the window. From her perch high above them, her pulse raced as she watched him point Lindsay away from the truck while he parked.

  Her heart stopped seeing his booted foot emerge from the truck cab with a large plastic shopping bag in hand. In jeans and a faded jeans shirt rolled up to below his elbows, she doubted any man could look so good. But when he stooped down to hug Lindsay and hand her the bag, a lump formed in her throat.

  Lindsay pulled a stuffed animal from the bag and hugged it to her chest. Next a pink backpack appeared. When they disappeared under the porch roof with the bounty, Kate closed the large suitcase and rolled it out into the hall.

  She made a quick stop in the bathroom to check her makeup, wanting to look her best for Trey. How ridiculous to think he still had the power to make her worry her looks would bring his criticism. She’d even put on a conservative sundress with capped sleeves. Her auburn hair was pulled back smooth and clipped with a large barrette at the back of her neck, like Trey preferred to see her hair. Perfume was sprayed on her wrists.

  Ready, she hauled the heavy suitcase down the stairs. Each thump sent a new wave of emotion over her. Lindsay was leaving. Thump. Thump. For a month. Thump. A tear rolled down her cheek. “Stop it,” she admonished herself. “A month’s not a year.” Thump. Thump. Where was Tinkerbelle? Thump. Then Colton would leave. Thump.

  About to break down, she paused to draw in several cleansing breaths before continuing.

  Thump. Thump. Finally, she was at the bottom of the stairs and able to use the heavy rolling suitcase as intended—for rolling.

  Fresh air filled with the scent of pine drifted through the front screen door as she joined Colton and Lindsay in the rockers.

  “You’re all packed, baby girl.” Kate smiled at her daughter and avoided Colton’s penetrating stare.

  “I’m not a baby,” Lindsay protested with a pout and held up the plush gray cat with an adoring smile for Colton. “A kitty like Tinkerbelle so I won’t miss him. And a backpack with—with...” Lindsay’s eyebrows came together.

  “Busy projects. For the airplane in case you get bored. You can color me a picture. Or practice your reading on the digital reader with books for your age.”

  He gave Kate a look that indicated he wasn’t a total dimwit when it came to kids.

  Tinkerbelle’s tail swished back and forth as he sat on Colton’s far side. His hand wrapped the cat’s head to scratch under his chin. “Don’t rock on Tinkerbelle’s tail. You’ve finally made progress with him.”

  “He’s purring.” Colton gave her a sexy, dimpled grin.

  “He likes the way you scratch his chin.” There. He’d done it again. Pulled her into his games when she needed to stay focused. How could she when his eyes sparkled with mischief at their first covert adult exchange in front of Lindsay. The warmth in his gaze sent a rush of heat straight to the core of her womanhood.

  “Colton said I need to read in my head,” Lindsay informed her mother. “So I don’t bother crankur...ca-trank-er...”

  Colton laughed. “Cantankerous travelers. That means grumpy. You wouldn’t want them to get mad when you’re such a fine young lady.”

  Lindsay gave him a shy smile then peered inside the backpack. Yah, Kate knew how that routine went around Colton. She too would busy herself when he threw a compliment her way. A smile creased her lips.

  “Colton’s going to leave after Daddy comes,” Lindsay said while digging inside the bag.

  At that, Kate’s smile wilted. Colton’s gaze locked with her own, his eyes lacking the warmth she had seen moments ago. He had come to say goodbye to Lindsay, and then he would leave. She blinked back the tears glad Lindsay was too busy with her backpack to notice. “I’ll bring out the sweet tea and cookies,” she said with a fast exit. Tinkerbelle sprinted in the door with her.

  Safe in her kitchen, Tinkerbelle rubbed against her ankles. “I know. They’re leaving us. Every last one of them.”

  The cat purred as she pulled him into her arms to cuddle him to her chest and scratch behind his ears. A slam of the screen door made her jump. Tinkerbelle bolted from her arms to disappear up the steps behind the refrigerator wall. Colton stopped in the doorway with his hands on either side of the doorjamb. “I really meant to put up a new screen door before I left. Need help in here?”

  “You’re leaving?”

  “You told me to. I’m packed. I’ll be out of your hair after Lindsay leaves.” He moved into the kitchen.

  “Is Sasha waiting in Knoxville to bid you a safe trip?” Colton stopped in his tracks in her peripheral vision. She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” Kate pulled the tea pitcher from the refrigerator while he reached for a tray she kept on top. She put snickerdoodles on a large red plate. Colton opened the cupboard to remove glasses. She couldn’t help but notice they worked together no matter they were at odds with each other.

  “You want a glass for your ex? Not that he deserves any.”

  Kate stared blank at him and shook her head as if to clear the cobwebs. He hadn’t denied Sasha would be waiting. The omission made her stomach turn. “Sure. He won’t drink any but the least we can do is look hospitable.”

  Four glasses were filled with ice and set on the tray with the pitcher. Napkins were added before he took hold of the tray and headed for the front porch. K
ate was left to trail in his wake. “Fine. Leave. Go to her,” she mumbled, thinking they were far enough apart to miss her comment.

  “Can’t hear you,” he said and let the screen door slam in her face.

  Kate stood there shocked for a moment. The act did wonders to get her emotions under control. In exactly ten minutes Trey would arrive and she would have enough bad temper steaming beneath the surface to get her through the trauma of Lindsay leaving—then Colton.

  A car pulled in the driveway, and Lindsay flew off the porch. “Grandma. Grandpa.”

  Kate closed her eyes a second. She was losing it. How could she forget her parents were coming to see Lindsay off? She turned around and went back into the kitchen for more glasses. By the time she joined the expanding group on the porch, Lindsay was opening a present from her grandparents: an American Girl doll Lindsay wanted for Christmas and didn’t get. The kid was having a grand time being showered with gifts from everyone except her own mother. She began to feel like a heel. She’d bought Lindsay new outfits and shoes, but nothing fun.

  “Mom, Dad.” Kate smiled and the screen door snapped shut. She heard Colton tell her dad, “Spring’s too tight. Needs to be adjusted.”

  “Here, let me help.” Eva came to her daughter’s aid with sympathetic eyes. “You look dreadful, honey. It’s only a month. Remember that.”

  “Don’t be nice, Mom, or I’m going to lose it.”

  Lively conversation filled the porch as the time quickly passed. Kate smiled and talked but she felt like she was in a vacuum. Her watch was poised in such a way she could watch every second. Trey was ten minutes late. The tea her mom poured her sat sweating on a napkin next to an uneaten cookie.

  By the time the limo pulled into the drive, Kate was buzzing from one unneeded task to another.

  Everyone went quiet as the gleaming black limo rolled to a stop. Lindsay didn’t fly off the porch to greet Trey as she had Colton. The limo driver rushed around to the side door and opened it for a conservative young woman with long brown hair pulled back sleek and clipped at the nape of her neck like Kate’s. “Hi. I’m Terri Vance, the nanny who will accompany Lindsay to California,” she said with a nervous smile. “Trey sends his apologies, but he was called into emergency surgery and was unable to make it.”

  “Lindsay isn’t going anywhere without her father,” Kate said with firm authority. The nanny looked all of eighteen.

  Miss Vance straightened her back. “Trey’s going to be very upset if we miss our plane,” she said, red-faced.

  It was Carter Crockett who stepped forward. “Did Trey tell you about this, Kate?”

  “No.” Kate looked into her mom’s worried eyes as her cool fingers slipped around her shoulders. The other of Eva’s hands held onto Lindsay. “I’ve not heard a thing other than the e-mail confirming he’d be here to get her.”

  Carter walked up to the young nanny. “Like Kate says, Lindsay goes nowhere until we reach her father.”

  “We’ll miss our plane,” Miss Vance protested a little less forcefully, twisting her fingers around the strap of her purse.

  “Then you’ll have to get another,” Kate told her. “I’ll go inside and try to reach him. Help yourself to sweet tea and cookies while we get this sorted out.”

  Eva stayed behind and tried to explain to Lindsay what was going on, while Carter talked to the nanny. Kate heard him ask to see what documentation she might be carrying to prove she was who she claimed.

  Colton followed Kate inside. “Tell the bastard to pick her up personally just like you did the nanny.”

  Kate ignored him and dialed Trey’s personal cell number and hung up when his voice mail kicked in. Next she tried his office, where a receptionist informed her he was in surgery. “You tell Trey this is Kate and that his daughter is going to miss her plane, if he doesn’t call me immediately. Yes. Kate Crockett, Trey’s former wife. Yes. Thank you.”

  “You need to lay off the sweet tea. That was downright too nice.”

  “Why should a receptionist be punished because Trey’s the jerk?” Kate stood at the sink and clutched the edges of the cold, unyielding stone counter until her fingers ached. Colton came up behind her to place his hands on her shoulders, kneading the knots from her muscles with his thumbs. His warm skin smelled masculine and fresh as she relaxed into the hard planes of his chest, forgetting they were at odds with each other. His large, solid form behind her made her feel safe and small. She closed her eyes. “What’s he up to, Colton? He’s done this on purpose.”

  “It’s a power move.”

  “You’re right. He’s showing me he can still have his way almost three thousand miles apart.” She yanked the clip from her hair and dug her fingers into her scalp to loosen her hair from the style that matched Miss Vance’s.

  “For the moment, give the guy the benefit of the doubt. It’s possible he had emergency surgery. Maybe some broad’s boob burst or her ass slipped down to her ankles.”

  She chuckled in spite of herself. His lame attempt at humor eased the tension between them. Kate felt good to have Colton on her side, along with her parents. For once, she didn’t have to go it alone like so many times in Nashville. Her phone jingled. “This is Trey’s personal number. No way is he in surgery.” She gave Colton a triumphant smirk and jabbed the talk button. “Did you really think I’d let Lindsay take off with a stranger?”

  Colton rested his hip against the counter with his arms folded across his chest. It appeared Trey had grabbed hold of the conversation while Kate tried to jump in from time to time with a protest. “No—I don’t care—it’s in our divorce agreement. You have to accompany her in person. We both agreed. What? No. She goes nowhere—”

  Enough was enough. As Kate paced past him he made a grab for the phone. “Trey, this is Colton Gray. A friend of Kate’s. You’ve exactly thirty minutes to call back with new arrangements. Got it?”

  Judging by the silence on the other end of the phone, Colton figured Trey was not only shocked by the change of voice but the manner in which he had been spoken to. It didn’t take him long to regroup and give Colton an earful. Never wavering under the barrage of threats, Colton said, “That tirade cost you five minutes. And every day you’re late picking up your daughter in person comes off her visit. Call Kate the minute your plans are in place.”

  He hung up to see Kate’s mouth pressed into a grim line with her green eyes blazing a path of destruction his way. “That’s how you handle an asshole,” he said and stalked from the room.

  “It doesn’t work with you,” she called after him.

  He couldn’t hold back the grin that threatened to sweeten the sour mood he’d been trying to sustain. He did intend to leave, but at least he and Kate might be able to part on better terms with the delay. What a jerk. He winced remembering the term had been applied to him more than once.

  Outside, he explained the situation to Carter. The nanny was off walking away from the group and having trouble getting a cell connection. Colton didn’t bother to tell her if she walked to the clearing near the barn she’d be able to make a call. As he strode over to where Eva was entertaining Lindsay, the limo driver sat, detached, behind the wheel reading a book. “Why don’t you go inside and give Kate a hand. I’ll take Lindsay for a walk.”

  “Thank you.” Eva made a light touch to his forearm. “She’s about to jump out of her skin. A walk will do her good.”

  “No problem. Come on, Half-Pint. I’ll show you where the dock broke and dumped me in the drink.”

  “You were a drink?”

  “No, that’s an expression for water. The lake was the drink, like water.”

  “What’s an expression?”

  Eva laughed. “Good luck with that one.”

  “Come on. I’ll show you the dock and explain it.” When Lindsay hesitated and looked over at the nanny, Colton squeezed her shoulder. “Everything’s okay.”

  “Where’s Daddy?”

  “He’s coming. I promise. He’s late. By the tim
e we get back from our walk, everything will be squared away. Just prepare yourself. You might not be going to California until tomorrow because Daddy may not be able to make the plane on time. But that’s cool. You and I will find plenty to keep us busy. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  When she slipped her hand into his, he had to swallow the lump in his throat. Hell, he was a goner. Half-Pint had captured his heart faster than any woman, except Kate. The thought sent a rush of blood to his head. As much as he wanted to deny the feelings stirring for Kate, they were there in his subconscious ready to attack at his most unguarded moments.

  “Will I fall in the drink?”

  “No. I’ll make sure you’re safe so we stay nice and dry.” He looked into her round blue orbs of adoration. There was a bow on top her head holding a tuft of hair off her angelic face. Usually, Lindsay wore a ponytail like her mother. It would be a full-time job keeping the boys at bay once the half-pint was a full-sized quart.

  Their chatter melted away into the sounds of nature around them. Underbrush crunched beneath their feet. The lake glistened in sight.

  Colton had distracted Lindsay for the thirty minutes that allowed Trey to come up with a new plan, when he suggested they return to the house.

  Fury did a slow burn through his veins when he learned Dr. Tremont Benson was a snake of the worst kind.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Trey’s sitting at the Knoxville airport. Said he thought it would be easier on Kate if they didn’t see each other,” Carter related with anger burning in his eyes. “I never trusted the sneaky bastard, but Kate’s never been able to see it.”

  “I’d have to disagree. She divorced him.”

  The show of manipulation proved a poor choice when everyone piled into Carter’s SUV to follow the limo holding the nanny back to Knoxville.

  The airport greeting held enough palpable tension to create a bar room brawl, until the Half-Pint flung her arms around her father. “Daddy.”