Dyer Consequences (2 page)

Kelly crushed the foam cup in her hands as she pictured the recent vandalism that had occurred at her cottage across from the knitting shop, House of Lambspun. “No, thank goodness. Those outside lights your guys installed must have done the trick.” Frowning, she tossed the crushed cup to the pine tabletop.

Steve’s warm hand stroked her neck. “Gus and the guys did a good job of cleaning off the paint, too, considering it’s still the middle of winter.”

Greg shook his head. “Man, stucco is hard to clean, too. And red paint . . . whoa. That’s just plain mean.”

“It’s more than mean,” Lisa countered, frown puckering her face. “It’s damn vindictive. They smashed Kelly’s windshield the week before, remember?”

“Do the police have any leads on those jerks?” Greg asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” Kelly said as she pictured her smashed windshield. Remembered anger chased away the mellowing effect of hot chocolate. “Bastards.”

Lisa peered over her cup. “You’re keeping your car in the garage now, aren’t you?”

“Oh, yeah. With a bolt and key lock, too. I’m not leaving anything outside that’s valuable anymore.”

Kelly tried to relax into the sofa again, but the comfortable feeling was gone—chased away by the frustration and resentment that flooded through her whenever she remembered the acts of vandalism that had started with the slashing of her tires right before Christmas.

Steve’s warm hand rested on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. The cops will get them. Vandals always slip up and make a mistake sooner or later.”

“Boy, I hope so,” Kelly said. “I want to see them go to jail.”

“Hey, I checked my schedule, and I can drive up into the canyon with you this week if you’re free,” Steve said, clearly trying to change the subject. “We can start getting ideas where you’d like to put the new ranch house.”

“What’s wrong with the old one?” Greg asked, leaning his head back on his hands.

“Well, it’s kind of old and run-down. Plus . . .” Kelly hesitated.

“Two women were murdered there, remember?” Lisa said. “I don’t blame you, Kelly. I’d want a new house, too.” She gave an exaggerated shudder.

“Now that the snowstorms have let up, I can go and check things out. I haven’t been into the canyon since New Year’s. Jayleen said she’ll come with me tomorrow, so we can take a look around.”

Steve reached for his coffee cup. “How many alpaca do you have again?”

“Fifteen.”

“Wait a minute,” Greg interrupted. “When did you buy livestock?”

“When I bought the ranch. The seller was from out of town, so she wanted to get rid of everything at once. Ranch, barn, alpaca, the whole thing. Kind of a package deal. I even hired the same caretaker she was using for the animals. Bobby Smith. He’s a college student and has been taking care of the herd ever since the bank took over the property last summer.”

“Is he still working out?” Steve asked.

“Oh, yeah, Bobby’s great. He comes twice a day.” A smile darted across Kelly’s face. “That’s another reason I need to go up there. Jayleen says I have to bond with my livestock. She and Bobby are the only people the animals have seen for months. Jayleen swears the alpaca think I’m just a tourist.”

“The only thing I know about alpaca is they make great warm scarves,” Greg said.

“The alpaca didn’t make that scarf, I did.” Lisa gave him a playful swat.

“Boy, I sure could use one of those scarves. It’s pretty cold outside on those building sites, Kelly.” Steve sent her a sly smile. “When’s that curse gonna be over?”

“You mean the ‘Don’t knit for your boyfriend, or you’ll scare him away’ curse?” Greg teased.

“It’s still too soon,” Lisa admonished, schoolmarm fashion. “You should wait another few months.”

“It’ll be summer by then. I won’t need it.”

Kelly laughed. “I’ll check with the Knitting Sages next fall and see what their considered wisdom is regarding our relationship.”

Greg snorted. “Considered wisdom, my ass. Who’s up for another run before we leave?”

Lisa grabbed her jacket. “I’m game, and I think I can take you on that double black diamond.”

“In your dreams,” Greg taunted as he sprang from the sofa. “You coming, Steve?”

“Absolutely. Ready to hit the slopes one more time before we head home, Kelly?”

Kelly screwed up her nose. “Sure, providing I can convince my legs to cooperate.”

“Hang on, it’s gonna get rough,” Jayleen Swinson said as she steered her truck onto the snow-covered driveway leading to Kelly’s canyon ranch house.

Tire tracks had already sliced through the deep snow, creating icy ruts. There was at least two feet of snow, Kelly observed, as she braced herself between the truck’s door and its frayed rooftop padding.

“Wow, the snow’s much deeper here,” she said, scanning the expanse of white pastures. “Thanks so much for driving me, Jayleen. I never would have made it up here in my car.”

“You got that right. Your pretty little car would’ve been high-centered for sure,” Jayleen said as she jerked the truck to a stop in the center of a cleared area between the ranch house and the barn. “Looks like Bobby had to shovel this out himself. The plow service is really running behind this week.”

Kelly spotted Bobby’s old gray pickup truck parked beside the barn and searched for signs of the caretaker. Several alpaca were clustered in the corral outside the barn. “I feel sorry for the animals having to be outside in this cold,” she said as she pushed the truck door open. Jayleen had already jumped to the ground. Kelly felt her boots slide as she stepped onto the slippery packed snow.

Brilliant blue sky, blazingly bright sunshine, and cold as hell. Colorado Winter. Kelly had forgotten those winters.

Jayleen adjusted her Stetson against the chill wind. “You forget where alpaca come from, Kelly. Way high up in those South American mountains. That’s why they have such thick coats.”

“Well, I’m glad I don’t have to be outside all day,” Kelly said, waving at the lanky, denim-clad young man who approached from the barn door. “Hey, Bobby, did you have to shovel this clearing yourself?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bobby said. “That plow guy told me he might be late sometimes. He’s swamped.” He pushed his hat back, revealing a mop of curly blond hair. “I wish the university would plow better. I had to pull three folks outta the snow yesterday. I expect today will be worse.”

“How many classes you takin’ this semester?” Jayleen asked, hands shoved in her back jeans pockets in her usual pose.

“Can’t afford more than two, Miss Jayleen. Plus the homework is getting harder.” A boyish grin appeared. “Ranch management and ecology. If I pass those, I can take more.”

“Well, you’re a hard worker, Bobby. I’m sure you’ll do well,” Kelly reassured him with a big smile. “Meanwhile, you keep track of how many times a month you have to shovel, and I’ll pay you extra. I really appreciate your doing that.”

“Hey, thank you, Miss Kelly, that’s real nice of you,” he said. “By the way, I’m glad you let Miss Jayleen bring you up here in her truck. Your car looks exactly like the ones I’ve been pullin’ outta snowdrifts in town.”

“Bobby, didn’t I tell you to call me Jayleen? I don’t know about Kelly, but I get an itch whenever anyone acts too polite around me.”

“Same goes for me, Bobby. Kelly and Jayleen are just fine.”

Bobby grinned. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll try to remember. Did you wanta check out the livestock while you’re here? They’re doing real well. I’ve changed their feed like Miss—uh, like Jayleen told me. Since they can’t graze and all.”

Kelly glanced toward the corral where more alpaca appeared, clustering about, clearly interested in their visitors. Then she caught a glimpse of the Rocky Mountains shimmering in the distance. The View To Die For. Not as stunning as yesterday’s view on the slopes, but still beautiful.

“The animals look great, Bobby. But today, Jayleen and I want to walk through the barn and stable and take stock of what needs to be done. I’ll be coming again tomorrow with an architect to give me ideas about where to build a new ranch house.”

“Why’re you gonna build a new one?” Bobby asked, clearly surprised. “The old house looks pretty good.”

Jayleen shook her head. “Looks can be deceiving, Bobby. That ranch house has some rotted timbers, and the roof’s bad, so it’ll hav’ta be torn down.” She stared at the ramshackle barn in front of them. “Barn’s in bad shape, too. So it’ll hav’ta go.”

“I can be here if you need me,” Bobby offered.

Kelly shook her head. “That’s okay, Bobby. We’ll only have time for a walk around before we both have to get back into town. Steve’s got a meeting, and I have a class later.”

Jayleen stared at Kelly with surprise. “What kind of tomfool class are you taking? I thought you said you were up to your ears in client work. You need me to help out?”

“Thanks, Jayleen, but I think I’ll be okay. Mimi’s giving one of her classes on dyeing fibers at Lambspun, and I’ve signed up. Jennifer talked me into it to get me away from the computer. To tell the truth, it didn’t take much persuading. I love those gorgeous colors Mimi comes up with. Apparently she’s been creating them ever since she started Lambspun. They’re her specialties. I want to learn how she does it.”

“Well, let me know if you need help with the accounts,” Jayleen said as she headed toward the barn.

Bobby glanced over his shoulder at the ranch house as he followed behind her. “Are you sure they both have to go, ma’am? They look like they still have some life left.”

“Sometimes, Bobby, we just have to start fresh. And Kelly here deserves a newer place,” Jayleen said with a grin. “Besides, she’s got an architect and builder for a boyfriend, so it’s an easy decision to make, right, Kelly?”

“Ask me that when the bills come in,” Kelly joked as she fell in step behind them.

Kelly stomped snow from her boots before yanking open the door to the House of Lambspun knitting shop. “
Brrrrr!
” she said, spotting her friend Jennifer, who was standing beside some baskets that overflowed with plump skeins of yarn. “I swear, it’s as cold here as it was up in the canyon this morning.”

“You’ve been complaining about the cold ever since the snows started in December,” Jennifer said, stroking the yarns that spilled across a maple table. Lemon yellow, cranberry red, pumpkin orange, and rich browns that ran from light caramel to deep chocolate.

Kelly couldn’t resist touching and sank her hands into another basket filled with luscious alpaca yarns. Black, brown, and gray alpaca combined in one skein to create a tweed. Kelly had used a similar color combination to make the luxurious scarf that protected her neck from the wind’s wintry blasts.

“That’s because I’ve been
cold
ever since December. The cottage must need more insulation or something. I have to wear a thick sweater inside even when I turn up the heat.”

Jennifer brushed her auburn hair away from her face and gave Kelly a sly smile. “If you let Steve stay over some night, I bet you wouldn’t have to turn up the heat.”

Here we go again.
Jennifer had stepped up her teasing lately. Kelly shifted the knitting bag over her shoulder and headed for the shop’s inviting main room. “Okay, okay. You can stop now.”

“Just making a suggestion,” Jennifer said as she followed. “You don’t hear me complaining about the cold because I do something about it at night. Last night, it was Eddie. Tonight, it’ll be John. I think. Or maybe Ken.”

Spying another friend sitting across the library table, Kelly smiled. “Hi, Megan. Jennifer’s telling me how she stays warm at night.”

“I’m trying to be helpful,” Jennifer said as she plopped her knitting bag on the table and pulled out a chair. “Kelly’s always complaining about the cold, and I told her Steve would be more than happy to raise the heat at her place. If she’d let him.”

Megan’s busy needles slowed as she looked up from the Valentine red yarn in her lap. Her fair complexion stained pink with a faint blush as she grinned. “I’m sure he would.”

Kelly noticed Megan wasn’t blushing as intensely as she used to whenever Jennifer’s conversations got descriptive. “Okay, you can both stop now,” Kelly countered as she settled into a chair. “Why don’t you concentrate on one of those guys, Jennifer? Then you can stop snooping on Steve and me.”

“I’ve told you, I don’t do permanent. Besides, there’s safety in numbers,” Jennifer said as she pulled a royal blue sweater from her bag and resumed knitting.

“Hey, Kelly, can I convince you and Steve to sign up for another mixed doubles tennis tournament at the club? You two did great last December.” Megan glanced up from the bloodred yarn, stitches quickly forming on the needles.

Is that a scarf taking shape?
Kelly wondered if she’d ever be able to knit without paying attention like her friends could. She pulled out the variegated wool scarf she’d started. After the serious tweed alpaca yarns, Kelly needed color. These new yarns were a promise of spring for her eyes. The reds ran from bold strawberry to soft raspberry all the way to zinfandel pink and back again. She examined the last stitches. They were neater, and—sure enough—there were fewer mistakes. Despite all her doubts, she was getting better.
Wonder of wonders.
Her friends were right.

“Megan, you’re being way too kind. Steve and I had our butts kicked in that tournament.”

“But you made it halfway through. That’s saying a lot. Marty and I both think you and Steve could be dynamite if you played more.”

Kelly laughed softly. “That would take a lot of practice, Megan, which means a lot of time. And that’s what neither Steve nor I have right now. He’s buried in that new building site in Old Town, and I’m up to my neck trying to earn money to start repairs on the canyon ranch.”