Cutter Mountain Rendezvous (17 page)

“I’m fine,” she mouthed before standing at the kitchen sink with her back to everyone. “Anyone want water?”

The chorus of “no” meant she was the only hot person in the room. Colton’s need to watch over her like a brother was a spur of irritation when her thoughts fantasized about running her hands over his hard, muscled body and kissing away the hurt in his scars. Most of all, she wanted him to react in a way that was anything but brotherly at Tiny’s. Maybe even kiss her senseless when she finally told him of her marriage’s darkest moment. Then how could he, when his heart was in Knoxville with a lover not a
he
lawyer as claimed.

“For Pete’s sake, Kate. Don’t let the water run down the drain. If you want cold water, there’s a pitcher in the refrigerator,” her mom snapped.

“Sorry.” She turned off the faucet and drank down the entire glass of cool well water.

****

During the next few days, Kate mulled over Colton’s concern about Lindsay being in California. How was it she never considered the issue? Possibly, it was because Trey never hit or treated Lindsay badly in any way. Before their marriage went sour, and when Lindsay was small, his method of punishment always consisted of an acceptable timeout on the naughty seat. That being the bottom step of the upstairs staircase.

The timeouts never lasted more than a minute before he retrieved her for a short talk on his lap about right and wrong. The lesson was always followed up with a kiss and hug. At the time Kate thought it appropriate and endearing.

Then when Lindsay turned four, their marriage was on the rocks. Trey was more absent than present. He began to lose touch with his daughter, who clung to her in fear when they fought. This fueled Trey’s anger, sure Kate was turning his daughter against him. Kate shuddered and erased the ugly thoughts.

Did she trust Trey? The question nagged before coming full circle. Yes. With Lindsay, she trusted him. Colton’s concerns made her ask questions worth considering so she wouldn’t fault him—this time.

The timeframe that laid ahead ticked off in her mind: Lindsay’s month in California; Colton’s leaving for Chicago; endless free time to call Dan Devers and meet with Bennett Field; the arrival of furniture for the inn, all culminating with Lindsay’s return.

Life would be idyllic.

This left one loose end. Colton.

Why did thoughts of his leaving bring on a deep feeling of malaise?

The answer came quick and hurtful.

She was falling in love with him while Colton saw her as a goodwill project.
A goodwill project!

****

The next day, Lindsay skipped into the kitchen as she unloaded the dishwasher. Her cheeks were bright as apples. Damp fringes of hair haloed her face. “Momma. Colton said we could sleep under the stars in Bessie. Like when he was a kid. Can we?
Pleeeze.
”

“How can we see stars when Bessie’s inside the barn?”

“He pushed Bessie outside.
Pleeeze
, Momma. Can we?” Lindsay jumped up and down. Her bright blue eyes were filled with anticipation Kate hated to dash into pieces.

“I don’t know, Lindsay. Let me talk to Colton.”

Lindsay slipped her small hand into Kate’s to drag her into the yard. It brought a painful squeeze in her heart to feel the small, fine-boned hand tugging her along. It would be so hard to let her daughter go to California for a whole month. Lindsay was what motivated her to build a good, stable life in Bear Creek.

They approached Colton tossing hay bales into the back of Bessie. How could she deny Lindsay the fun of sleeping under the stars? In typical Colton fashion, he’d managed to get his way without her being able to do a darned thing about it. The problem was she was beginning to enjoy his interfering. He made life fun. He made her feel safe with his
brotherly
concern.
Eeuww-hew!

“Cowboy,” she said with a forced smile. “What’s this I hear about sleeping under the stars tonight? What if Lindsay’s allergic to hay?”

“It’s straw. Big difference. It makes a nice mattress to toss a sleeping bag on top. I’ve added several inches of loose straw to make it comfortable.”

“I don’t have sleeping bags.”

“Always have a back-up plan. I do.” Colton let his gaze wander over her casual stance and bare legs. She rarely wore shorts but it was hot. Shorts and a tank top were appropriate, so what was he staring at with hunger that was anything but brotherly. His eyes met hers. “I bought a couple in case you didn’t have any.”

“Well, you just think of everything, don’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s downright sinful that a country girl never took her daughter camping.” He spread around the last bale of straw and jumped up into the truckbed with the ease of an athlete. “Come on up, Half-Pint. See what you think.”

He extended his hands to Lindsay and swung her up and over the side onto the straw bales. She squealed in delight and sat down to dig into the soft bed of straw.

Colton smiled. “You think you can sleep out here with me and your mom in a sleeping bag and help us count stars?”

“Pleeeze pleeeze pleeeze.” Lindsay’s small shoulder wilted in a plea and soulful look.

“Maybe your mom needs to come up here and see how comfortable it will be.” Colton reached a hand down to Kate. “Hoist yourself up on the tire, and I’ll pull you up.”

“I can do it myself.”

“Knock yourself out.” He pulled back his hand and sat next to Lindsay.

“Just what I need. An audience.” Kate grabbed the side of Bessie’s truck bed, put a foot on the back tire and tried several attempts at hoisting herself into the straw. Quickly, she realized hooking her leg over the side was harder than she thought. It didn’t help that Colton and Lindsay laughed at each comical attempt until she landed hard on her backside.

Colton offered his hand again. “Come on, Kate. You’re the most stubborn woman I know.”

Kate brushed off the seat of her shorts and tried again. This time Colton caught hold of her arm and dragged her over the edge onto the straw. Lindsay giggled when they tumbled next to her.

“Okay,” Colton instructed. “Everybody on their backs. Let’s see how this will work out.”

Lindsay scrambled between them and lay on her back. Her tiny arms clasped behind her head like Colton as he chewed on a piece of straw. Kate followed suit and pointed to a fluffy white cloud floating overhead. “There’s a dog. What do you see, Lindsay?”

“A goat.”

“Where?” Colton and Kate said in unison, searching the sky.

“There.” Lindsay pointed to a cloud Kate thought nondescript.

“Can we sleep outside tomorrow?” Lindsay asked.

Kate laughed and didn’t bother to remind her of the trip to California. “Only if it’s a perfect day like today, honey.”

There was no denying life was a lot more fun with Colton interfering on a regular basis.

****

Inky cloudless sky and a sliver of moon made for perfect stargazing. The clear sky also meant a deep chill descended onto the mountaintop. With a straw bale at their backs and propped against Bessie’s cab, Kate and Colton sat cocooned in quilts with a sleeping bag draped over their knees.

At their feet, the top of Lindsay’s blond head was the only visible sign of the small lump nestled deep in her sleeping bag. She slept sound after the excitement of eating her first hot dog cooked over a campfire. Marshmallows were also placed on the forked green sticks Colton had whittled. When one fell into the embers, Kate smiled to see Lindsay watch in fascination as it flared, bubbled and burned into a lump of black ash. How many times had she done that as a child?

An old-fashioned, dented coffee pot Kate found inside the barn was cleaned and made the perfect campfire utensil to steam hot chocolate. The sweet liquid kept them warm inside as the temperature dipped. The sky winked with a million stars in every size.

“She’ll never forget this night,” Kate said as she and Colton talked in low voices.
Neither will I,
she thought. “Thank you. It’s such a nice memory to take with her to California although you shouldn’t have promised you’d see Lindsay when she comes back. You’ll be in Chicago.”

“I’ll make time.”

“Colton...I don’t know how to say this but you’re allowing Lindsay to become too attached to you. It’s not good. She’ll be disappointed once you leave.”

“That makes two of us.” He placed an unexpected kiss on Kate’s lips. His proclamation they were nothing more than friends was in direct conflict with his tongue that teased against her slightly parted lips and sent a shiver of desire racing south.

She broke away breathless and glanced at Lindsay. “I think we need to call it a night.”

“She’s fine.” Colton smoothed his hand over Kate’s jaw to tunnel his fingers in her hair and gently bring their lips back together. He made a slight sound deep in his throat when she responded with a flick of her tongue against his. Her fingers curled into his bicep.

His hand left her hair to skillfully snake beneath the layers of quilt, a windbreaker, and a flannel shirt. Her T-shirt was tucked into her jeans. He stilled. “Damn,” he whispered. “You’re wearing your sidearm and no bra?” His warm hand cupped the swell of breast through the tee.

“With all the layers...” She closed her eyes and melted into the comfortable bed of straw as he tugged loose the tee to touch skin and the erect nipple. He worked his thumb across it. Every nerve sparked in response to his touch. “Please. We need to stop,” she whispered.

Cold air sent a chill over her midriff as he pulled back. “You don’t like it?”

“Of course I like it,” her voice quivered. “We can’t do this here. Not with Lindsay so close.”

“She’s sound asleep.”

“You say that because you’ve never lived with a child under your roof.”

“I’ve plenty of friends with kids. Judging by the growing numbers in their tribes, I doubt kids stop their getting some.”

“Well you won’t be getting some tonight.”

“How about you let me hang out on first base a little longer now that my motor’s running?” A glint of teeth shone in the night. His wolfish smile was broad enough to crease his dimple.
Adorable.

Kate tried to ignore the fact her own motor was in overdrive and smiled. “That’s a real tempting offer, cowboy—”

Colton didn’t let her finish the thought, trapping half her body under his. His leg settled between her thighs. The hard impression of his desire matched the heat in his eyes. Kate doubted straw would ever smell this good again. “How about I tuck Lindsay in snug on Bessie’s bench seat? Then you and I will get under this sleeping bag and see if we can get from first base to second.”

“Colton Gray, you are impossible. In my world, friends don’t fool around just because it’s convenient.” The words came out smooth and detached when in fact she squirmed against the manly feel of him.

“Why not? It’ll be fun. I guarantee satisfaction or your money back.”

“Ha ha.”

“Whaddaya say?”

He covered her mouth with his and flicked his tongue. Kate moaned and deepened the kiss. Her body throbbed with desire as she relished the kiss, his hands upon her, the gentle rocking against her thigh that had to stop. She broke away breathless. “You didn’t let me finish my sentence before.”

“Can it wait?”

“I don’t think so.” She placed her shaking fingers against his lips to stop his protest. “I-I’ve…oh God. Must you do that?” She shuttered with the heat of his mouth and tongue against her neck and pressed against him. He moaned but she pushed on, “I-I’ve no intention of fooling around with a man who spent a long weekend in Knoxville with a woman,
not a man
, who you lied and said was your lawyer.” Colton lay still against her breathing wisps of hot breath against her neck. “I-I heard from a reliable source it was a hot, gorgeous blond who drove you to Knoxville. I can only assume you slept with her multiple times.”

“There’s the bucket of cold water I needed.” Colton pushed off her and hopped to his feet, giving her a hand up.

Kate disappeared over Bessie’s side with a thump and complaint when her feet slipped on the slick dew-covered ground, once again dumping her on her rear.

Colton was over the edge in a flash to help her up. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” She pulled away afraid he’d draw her into another embrace she would have no desire to break. “You’ll need to wake Lindsay up. I can’t carry her up the stairs any more.”

“I’ll carry her.” Colton tugged Lindsay’s sleeping bag to the edge.

“Yeowwww.” Tinkerbelle emerged in a flash of gray fur, jumped to the ground and high-tailed it into the dark night.

“Just when I was making headway with the beast.” Colton slanted a look at Kate while he effortlessly settled Lindsay against his shoulder. Her small arms were quick to curl around his neck. Kate saw the affectionate gesture touched him when he cradled her close and kissed the top of her head. Lindsay tightened her grip.

The attachment Kate warned Colton about was already in place. Lindsay’s heart would be as broken as hers when Colton left Cutter Mountain.

****

While Kate tucked Lindsay into bed, Colton went to the kitchen. He hadn’t planned on kissing Kate tonight. In fact, he’d intended just the opposite. His preference was leaving with no strings attached. But like their first kiss, it came as natural as slipping his hand under her shirt.