by Kit DeCanti
Ron’s mind started racing… among thoughts of her having a ‘plan of her own’…. he also thought he would have more time to arrange a weekend off. But he was pretty sure he could get Lenny to agree, if he could talk someone into switching days off with him. Ron was able to kept his voice nonchalant as he said, “Well, now let’s see. I’ll have to check my calendar…Oh yeah, turns out, I am free Sunday.”
Kat thought for a moment and then said, “I tell you what… since this is going to be a ‘blind date’ and blind dates are always first dates… I think it should be very casual.” Kat continued toying with him, “You think you can plan a casual first date, buddy? One casual-yet spectacular enough to get a second date?”
“I think I can plan a casual first date that will… well, one you will never forget!” Ron promised, then added, “At any rate, I think it will be more successful than the Carnival first date that never was, that you planned!”
“What are you talking about?” She laughed, “I had a swinging good time! And you probably never danced so much in your life!”
“Yeah, well,” he said “I’ve always thought a successful date was one where you at least have a conversation with each other.”
“Fine!” Kat shot back. “Rule number ONE casual, rule number TWO spectacular and rule number THREE a lot of talking… But nothing too personal… after all it is a first date. And a ‘blind date’ at that!”
“Hey, if I have to plan it how come you get to set the rules?” Ron whined.
“Simple. Kats rule! Ya got one whole week to plan it! Call me,” Kat said and hung up.
“Lots of talking… non-personal talking,” Ron thought for a minute and came up with a movie date. “There’s a lot of talking going on there….just not to each other! Can’t get much more impersonal than that!” he chuckled, anticipating Kat’s pleasure at his twist of her rules. Then he picked up the local paper and browsed the ads. He grabbed his phone dialed a basket service and asked for help picking out a casual yet memorable picnic menu. He purchased the deluxe basket with two wineglasses, which he planned to have engraved with ‘Kat’ and ‘Buddy’ and give to Kat at the end of the date. He started a list of music to download and would later burn a CD. Ron knew just the perfect spot for this picnic!
Ron called Lenny and asked about taking Sunday off. Lenny responded gruffly, “Look, Rookie, I know you’re young and all, but ya knew you wouldn’t have many free weekends for the first year- and you just had a Saturday off a couple weeks ago! Ya can’t expect me to give you extra time off because we’re friends.” But later, he left this message on Ron’s cell phone: “Hey Rookie, been thinking it over, and well, Jason said he’d switch with you if you remember the favor. So looks like you can go ahead and take Sunday off… and by the way, why don’t you come to lunch -my niece will be home this week end.”
“Oh brother! Now what? How am I going to get out of this?” worried Ron. But he was relieved later, when he ran into Lenny at the station because Lenny said, “Hey, sorry but seems my niece has plans. But one of these days you two are going to meet. I have a feeling that you’ll hit it off.” He slapped Ron on the back as he walked away.
“Whew!” Ron said out loud then pretended it was the slap on the back he was reacting to.
That night, Ron called and told Kat that he was the blind date she was expecting to call. He asked her to meet him at the theater in Clearlake, for the matinee. He asked her to wear a daisy in her hair, so he would know who she was, and he would wear a Texas Ranger’s baseball cap.” He was right; she was pleased with the ‘talking date!’
CHAPTER TWENTY
First Blind Date
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Sunday finally arrived, and Ron was ready! He waited for Kat at the theater, wearing his Texas Ranger cap as planned. After pretending to ‘meet’ they watched the movie and shared popcorn and bonbons, sneaking looks at each other throughout the movie, once in awhile making eye contact.
That was the hardest for Ron. Sitting next to her, it was difficult enough to keep his composure- but those deep blue eyes! Even in the dark he could get lost in them!
After the movie they left together in Ron’s SUV, and he drove around the lake, while they chatted and listened to the CD that he had burned especially for their first ‘blind’ date.
As he pulled onto Soda Bay Road Ron told Kat to close her eyes and enjoy the next song, which he had timed perfectly to last until he had pulled gently off onto a dirt road leading into a cherry orchard- which was in full bloom.
He had met the orchard’s owner when he happened upon him struggling to change a tractor tire. Since Ron had helped with the tire, it wasn’t difficult to get permission to use the orchard for a picnic.
Ron slowed his SUV to a smooth stop, and jumped out, opened the back and pulled out the basket which he had hidden under a large tablecloth. He quickly spread out the tablecloth and laid out a picture perfect picnic. Then as the song was ending, he opened the door for Kat, with a bouquet of daisies in his hand.
“Not bad,” Kat said, for the third time since they met. “Not bad at all.”
They sat eating Lake County delicacies and sipping Lake County wine, as the gentle breeze caused the blossoms to fall all around them like pink snow; all the while, the CD played from the SUV.
“So tell me, Buddy, what is it that attracts you to … people?” Kat flirted.
“Eyes!” Ron said a bit too quickly and much too seriously. Then he added, “The first thing I see are eyes. And eyes are the first thing that sees me. ‘Eyes are the window to the soul.’ Somebody important said that in… 1880 I think,” he joked, as he leaned back on one elbow and with his other hand reached out brushing a pink petal off Kat’s hair. “How ‘bout you? What gets your attention, Kat?” he really wanted to know.
“Words,” Kat said dreamily, leaning towards him, “I am into words. Words can do so much. Make friends… create adversaries- even enemies. Words can hurt, cut or heal. Words can bring people together or tear them apart. But most of all words are the glasses through which one reads the heart. Kat- 2007”
Laughing, Ron ‘peeled’ a chocolate orange he had pulled from the basket, and fed a slice to Kat.
“Yum!” she purred, “Maybe I was wrong… maybe chocolate is the way to my heart.”
“I was counting on it! Because when I’m near you I am at a loss for words.”
“Cat got your tongue?” Kat said batting her eyes.
“I hope so,” Ron said and moved in for a kiss.
Although he had meant it to be a casual kiss, it was electrifying! He felt the electricity throughout his body!
Startled, Ron pulled his lips away and found himself looking into a pair of very serious blue eyes.
After an almost awkward moment, Kat turned and fanned herself with her hand. “Mah goohdness, gracious!” she said in an exaggerated southern accent, “Ah do baleeve it has gotten warhm. Ah am feelin’ all flushed. What evah do you s’pose is the mahtah with me? Ah am afraid ah jus might faint!” With that she pulled herself up to her knees and, pretending to swoon, landed in a faint across Ron’s lap.
Then just as quickly she was up on her feet pulling on his hands. “Since we missed our first dance at the Carnival, care to make it up now?”
Ron stood up, trying to regain a casual demeanor as he took Kat in his arms to slow dance as the sound of one of his favorite songs filled the orchard. If it hadn’t been a favorite before, it certainly was now. The song ended, but Ron still held her tightly in his arms, not wanted to let go.
Once again the Southern Belle lightened the mood, as she pushed him away, and twirled around grabbing a napkin from the picnic basket. “‘Scuse me, suh, Ah am not one to point out otha’s short cuhmin’s… but when you failed to recognize me at the Carnival, and win my hand in… date. You broke ma little ol' haaht!” Kat dabbed her eye with the napkin, and fluttered her lashes.
Ron didn’t want the mood to be broken, but he laughed in spite of himself, an
d said, “Frankly, Miss Scarlet, breaking your heart is the last thing I would ever want to do. How can I make it up to you?”
Kat fanned herself, and said she would have to think up an appropriate punishment. She started packing up the basket and Ron sighed, realizing that their first date was coming to an end.
As the SUV pulled into the theater’s parking lot, Ron couldn’t stop himself from asking, “When am I going to learn your real name?”
“Why, on our first real date!” Kat said as she prepared to get out of his SUV.
Jumping out and rushing to reach the passenger’s door in time to open it and help Kat out, Ron pleaded, “Wasn’t this real enough?”
Kat said, “Why, no, Silly! This was only a ‘blind date’!” and stood on her toes and kissed his chin too quickly for him to lean down to catch her mouth with his.
And with that she jumped into her car and called out, “I have a feeling that I’ll be wanting to visit my mother again very soon!”
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
The Man With A Plan
Monday April 23rd, 2007
The next morning Ron’s cell phone woke him up from a blissful pink dream…
“This is what I like… a ‘Kat Call!’” Ron laughed into the phone, having seen Kat’s phone number on the caller ID. “Are you in need of another ‘blind date’? he asked hopefully, and laughed again.
Kat tried to make her voice pout, as she said, “My family is trying to fix me up again, but I told them I had a ‘blind date’ already.” Then mischievously, “You’re not going to make a liar out of me are you?”
“Well, tell me, please, when is this… ah hem,” pretending to clear his throat, “‘blind date’ supposedly happening?”
“Why, this Wednesday! I don’t have classes that day… and I would so love to visit my mother,” Kat said, pouting again.
“So, she’s upping the ante! Trying to catch me off guard, without a plan! Well, is she ever going to be surprised!” Ron thought, while responding, “Let’s see… it’s your turn to plan it, isn’t it? Where is this ‘blind date’ taking you?” pretending to be unprepared.
“No, suh!” the southern belle was back, “You are badly mahstaken! Ah have you know that ah have nevah planned a date in ma life… well maybe the Carnahvaahl… but that really didn’t turn into a date, did it? But I don’t want to bring up your short cuhmins, suh.”
“All right, all right! Miss Scarlet Kat. I’ll plan the date! Work! Work! Work! A blind date’s work is never done! But you’ll need a cowboy hat and boots.”
Even though he played it up, he had the next date all planned. A horse and buggy ride through the wild flowers of Bear Valley; leading to a chuck wagon BBQ and barn dance ending with a hayride back under the stars. Although he hadn’t expected it to be so soon, he was hoping it would be in the middle of the week. Even though he would have to pay extra for the week-day buggy ride, he wouldn’t have to worry about trading a day with a fellow deputy. But the real bonus would be having Miss Scarlet Kat all to himself in the buggy!
Just the driver and the two of them in a field of wild flowers! It couldn’t have worked out better! And he had more dates all planned.
In fact he had enough ‘blind dates’ planned to take them through the spring, summer and into the fall. With all the Friday night concerts in Library Park, nature hiking through the many parks starting with the Black Forest, wine tasting from the back seat of a limo, dinner and dancing on the Clearlake Queen, a glider ride over the southern part of the county, horseback riding on Cow Mountain, bicycling on the numerous bike loops; and if Kat is up to it, he’d love to take her hang gliding off the crags of the Mendocino Forest by Pillsbury Lake and go para-sailing from Library Park in Lakeport. Ron grinned. He had no doubts that she would be up for it!
Ron fully intended to take Miss Scarlet Kat out on his boat, the very next full moon, and anchor in Soda Bay to watch the moon rise over Konocti, then head over to Zino’s Italian Ristorante for dinner on their verandah.
Lake County has such a wide variety of festivals around the lake throughout the spring and summer, along with car shows, fireworks, museums and art galleries, great restaurants, various plays and concerts in the wineries- not to mention some pretty big name concerts at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa. Ron’s list kept growing!
The problem wasn’t coming up with new and exciting things to do on their ‘blind dates’- the problem was deciding among all the choices. Ron felt very lucky to live in this beautiful county, with such a wide variety of activities available, to assist him in romancing the mysterious and beautiful Kat.
One other thing Ron definitely wanted to do with Kat- go Lake County Diamond hunting! That part of the plan would come later!
Ron’s plan included more than winning Kat’s heart, but also rekindling the love she once had for Lake County. She had grown up here, and had lots of fond memories of her youth; but as often happens, came to think the grass is greener on the other side of the mountain. One of the few things she had revealed about herself was that after graduating from college in June, she was thinking of leaving the area.
Most of Ron’s fellow deputies looked at their time in Lake County as just putting in their time, using it as a good training ground until they could get a higher paying position in a more populated area. But this young rookie had fallen in love with this watery county. And he knew he was falling in love with Kat as well. He hoped she would fall back in love with Lake County and fall in love with … he could barely let himself hope it, and couldn‘t say it just yet. Not even to himself.
When Ron mentally started outlining his plan of attack, he also decided to start looking for a house to purchase. “I can’t think of a better way to use my inheritance,” he thought. When Ron’s real father died, his mother set up a trust for him for college, and when she was killed in the accident, his step dad added her life insurance and settlement to the trust. After college and the academy, there was still a good chunk left in the bank gathering interest.
He hadn’t decided what to do with the money until now. There was enough for a sizable down payment on a house.
He had an appointment on his next day off to look at a house on Edgewater, in the Clearlake Riviera, that he had come across on patrol.
As he drove his SUV down the inlaid brick drive, he had the feeling of finally coming home. The realtor was waiting on the front deck; she dramatically opened the double doors as if raising the curtains to the view that awaited him- a floor to ceiling wall of windows framed Mt. Konocti and Konocti Bay from the sunken living room. A glass door wood stove was tucked into a rock alcove.
As Ron walked through the house, he could almost feel Kat’s presence. He could hear her expressions of delight as she reacted to the handmade tile work throughout the kitchen and three full baths.
A deck off the dining room drank up as much of the view as it could, as if trying to keep it to itself. But every room in the house had its fair share of views of Ron and Kat’s favorite mountain and lake.
Ron leaned on the rail and breathed in the fresh air.
“They set off fireworks at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa several times a year,” the realtor said, “and you can have a front row seat here on your very own deck. You can also hear the concerts, when they are in the amphitheater.” Then she added, “The house had been built for an extended family’s weekend home. Then it was sold it to a single family, who moved in and lived here year round, and more recently it has been a bed and breakfast.”
Downstairs, two guest suites flanked a huge theater room. Each room opened onto a huge shared deck that ran the length of the house with a large Jacuzzi tucked in a private corner. Though private, the Jacuzzi maintained a perfect view of the lake and mountain.
A fireplace identical to the one upstairs in the theater room would welcome him and Kat after an evening in the Jacuzzi, Ron thought. He suddenly had a vision of rose petals leading down the stairs to the Jacuzzi. He chuckled to himself; “You are really beco
ming quite the romantic!”
“Excuse me?” the realtor asked. “Nothing,” Ron murmured and quickly walked upstairs, embarrassed to realize that he had said it out loud.
He had been saving the master bedroom for last. But still embarrassed, he just quickly walked through, taking in the details of the room- and of course the view. However, the master bath brought him to a halt!
An immense Roman bath tub looked out at the lake and Mt Konocti through a large oval window. The realtor assured him that one’s privacy was protected because the large window was a ‘one-way’ type. There was also a large open shower that could hold a family of five. Ron had not seen a shower that big since the academy!
The realtor pointed out that the sellers were anxious to sell. And knowing Ron’s need to move soon, she added that she was pretty certain that they would agree for him to rent to close of escrow.
Ron wrote an offer on the spot.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
The Stakeout
May 16th, 2007
Ron’s digital clock read 3:20 AM when his phone rudely broke into his dreams and brought his thoughts abruptly back to the secret on Cobb Mountain. It had been weeks since anything new had come about, but now Jack was on the phone whispering urgently, “Something’s going on up there again! Better get up there fast!”
Ron quickly threw on some dark cloths and headed out- relieved that Jack had already called Lenny. As he wound his way up Seigler Canyon Road through the moonless night, thoughts of Heather Logan’s death almost made him ashamed to be so happy. It had been a long time since he had even thought of her.
Ron pulled off the road on to the fire trail and turned off his lights. He quickly made his way to the parking lot, to the same place he had waited before. He hoped Lenny would get there soon. At least the previous time there had been a little bit of moon. Tonight it was pitch black!
