Finding Kate (3 page)

Chapter Four

Will tapped his fingers on the front counter of the Wild Animal Rescue Center. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s OK. But, she’ll need some rehabilitation before being released back into the wild,” Thea said, sitting behind the front desk.

A sigh of relief escaped Will. He wanted her to live and return to wild open spaces within Mesa Verde. “Can I see her?”

“Sure. Follow me.” Thea led the way to the back of the office. “We have her in one of the more secure recovery areas. We didn’t want her disturbed by all the other animals, and we certainly didn’t want to stress out our other hairy little patients.” She laughed.

Will stared at the wild animal lying in her large metal cage. Her eyes were closed and her chest rose and fell with each breath. He exhaled as though he’d been holding his breath.

“Cathy plans to keep her somewhat sedated until she’s healed up a bit more. Fear of her surroundings might cause her to panic and keep her from healing properly.”

Will knelt beside the cage to get a better look. Parts of her body had been shaved for the surgery. A long line of stitches ran like small train tracks on the cat’s light brown skin.

“Cathy’s been talking with several universities about her. At one point, she had three veterinarians on speakerphone while performing the surgery.”

“Will you tell her to call me if she needs anything?”

“She already knows, Will.” Thea placed her hand on his arm.

“Thanks.” He nodded, walked to the front of the building, opened the glass front door, and climbed into his truck.

He might not be able to do anything for his feline friend, but maybe there’d be something he could do for Emma. On the road back to Wintervale he couldn’t get his good friend Emma out of his mind. After hearing of her recent brain cancer diagnosis, he wanted to make sure she was taken care of.

***

All six feet of Victoria, Trevor’s fiancé, stepped out of the passenger side of his car as he held the door open for her. Her blonde hair flowed like a golden river halfway down her back. Her cowboy boots added another inch to her model frame.

I can compete with this,
Kate decided, still reeling from his statement. She straightened her back to appear taller. At least her platform heels helped in that department.

Victoria removed her sunglasses, tucked them above the top button on her shirt, and stretched her hand out to Kate. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said with a smile. “Trevor mentioned you were a great gal to have as a friend.”

A great gal? As a friend? That’s all Trevor had to say about me?
Kate wanted to throw up on the woman’s boots.

Kate kept her composure. “Would you two like to come inside?”

“We’d love to.” Trevor slipped his hand into Victoria’s.

Kate stared, speechless. That should be her hand slipping into Trevor’s. This was supposed to be the moment he dropped to his knees and asked if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She relaxed her jaw and took a deep breath. Anger wouldn’t solve anything.

As she led them toward the front door, Kate remembered the candles in the middle of the romantic table she’d set earlier. She darted into the house ahead of the two and blew out the candles, slinging droplets of hot wax on her hands.

Kate chucked the candles across the room between the refrigerator and the trash can, before they entered the house. She blew on her hands and walked back into the living room hoping they hadn’t seen anything. “Want a cookie?” Kate lifted the plate from the coffee table and held it out in front of them.

“No thanks,” Trevor said, waving his hand in front of the plate. “I’m not too hungry right now.”

“Oh, are these premade?” Victoria said. “They’re perfectly round.”

“Uh huh.” So much for the idea of winning Trevor over with fresh-baked cookies. Kate’s plans were deflating as fast as her heart.

Victoria picked one up with two fingers and held it in front of her, turning the cookie. She squinted her eyes as she combed over the treat. “I like homemade better,” she added.

Kate glanced back and forth between Trevor and Victoria. Was he getting this? They’d talked about women like this before.

Trevor moved around the room with his back to her.
Obviously not.

“Cute little place,” Trevor reached over and rubbed a doily on the lampshade between his fingers. “Will was right, it’s very…pink.” He turned around and looked at her. “I appreciate you helping me out with the newspaper. I told the Wintervale publisher I’d have someone in that position to take your place permanently in the fall. I knew you’d do a great job reviving it in the meantime.”

“No problem.” Kate would do anything for Trevor. If Victoria weren’t around, she’d drop to her knees and beg to take him back to Chicago where they could live happily ever after.

Was the dream of Trevor coming back to Chicago with her dying right in front of her? They could sit by the river in the summer, eat hotdogs, and walk along the Magnificent Mile when the Christmas shopping commenced.

“We can’t stay long,” Trevor said. “I just wanted to come by and say hello. We can meet at one of the restaurants in town soon and catch up.”

“That’d be great.” Kate eyed Victoria, wondering if she would be in tow. “How’s Durango?” Kate asked.

“Great. It’s good to be back home. Of course I miss a few things about Chicago, but there’s nothing like being close to nature.”

“We went on a seven-mile hike yesterday,” Victoria added. “I love to hike, but Trevor here is obsessed.” They looked at each other and giggled.

Kate laughed with them, but didn’t like being excluded from their little joke.

There had to be something Trevor disliked about this woman. Kate determined to win back her man.

***

“Have the doctors given you a timeframe?” Will asked. His stomach twisted into a knot.

“No,” Emma said, sipping her tea. “They said it wouldn’t be long though.”

Will glanced down at the table, looked back up at Emma, and asked, “So, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, hon. No sense fretting over what’s to come.” Emma flipped her hand up in the air as if her life-threatening tumor was no big deal.

He pushed his full cup of coffee away from him. “I put my phone number on your board by the phone. I also want you to carry one of my cards with you. If you need something during the day, call me. I’ll grab a few things from home and stay nights.”

“No need for that—“

“No argument,” he lifted his hand up. “I’ll be here.”

Emma’s friendship with his mother spanned their entire lives. Will was all she had left now. Her husband passed away a few months ago, and she’d taken to riding her horse almost every day, until the onset of her crippling headaches.

“I’ll tend to the cattle this week,” he said. Emma took pride in handling ranch life on her own. He didn’t want her to feel helpless, so he decided to take it a bit at a time.

“I can manage, Will. You have enough on your plate as it is.” She pressed her hands against her knees as she stood and walked to the refrigerator. “I made you a lemon meringue pie. Your favorite.” As she held on to the counter with one hand, she grabbed a knife from the drawer, sliced the pie, and slid a piece onto a small orange dish. After setting it in front of him with a fork, she took her seat at the table.

“You always know how to get hold of my heart.” He played with the meringue for a moment before putting a bite in his mouth.

Will admired her strength. She clung to God through it all. Will loved the Lord, but he couldn’t understand Emma not stewing in anger over her cancer diagnosis. How could God let things like this happen to such a good person?

“I’ll be back in a while. You get some rest.” As he stood up, he set the pie plate back in the refrigerator for later and turned to kiss her on the forehead.

***

Kate sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and rubbed her feet on the carpet. She had tossed and turned for hours. Daylight would shine soon. She didn’t see any sense in trying to sleep longer. She stood up and walked into the living room.

Her Bible sat on the side table next to the couch, and she picked it up and flipped through the thin pages. Comfort washed over her as she read the familiar passages.

A set of headlights, shining in the distance at Emma’s house, caught her attention.

She couldn’t make out the vehicle in the dark. It drove around the property, stopping occasionally.
I hope she’s not being robbed.
Her heart beat faster and she thought walking over to check on the situation might be a good idea.

If there was a robbery in progress, she could handle it. After all, she’d grown up in Chicago and spent a great deal of time in the city. She knew how to handle criminals. Several years ago Kate had purchased a new handbag and walked out of the store, just as a thief ran up behind her and tried to jerk it free of her grip. Her arm stayed glued to the straps. He must’ve dragged her ten feet before giving up. She wasn’t about to lose a new purse to some thug, especially after such a good sale. It was a quality purse; the straps never ripped.

Kate scanned the room searching for something to use as a weapon. One of the logs for the wood burning stove looked strong yet small enough for her to carry. She threw on some clothes and picked the log up off the floor.

Her eyes stayed focused on the moving lights as she walked toward Emma’s house. The piece of wood gave her a sense of safety. Kate made a fist and uncurled her fingers, and made the fist again. With each step closer, her heart pounded harder against her chest.

If she got too close to the house she might be seen. The barbed wire fence around the side of the property would be a good place to slip through. As she did, the back of her sweater stuck on one of the barbs. She reached around to loosen the grip it had on her clothing. As she fumbled to free herself the sharp metal piece sliced her thumb. The pain throbbed hard.

The door on the truck slammed shut. She dropped to the ground, avoiding the thief’s line of vision. A large swatch of her sweater hung onto the barb, flittering in the wind, but she was free.
Just my luck. Will I ruin every piece of clothing I own?

In the pitch black, the driver drove his truck a few feet and parked again. Kate ran to the outside of the barn doorway.
I feel like I’m on an episode of Law and Order.
She squinted to make out the license plate but could not even see the color. If she walked through the inside of the barn she would be spotted.

Kate inched along the barn wall. She held the log up in front of her, ready to attack. She froze. The hay on the ground rustled beneath the perpetrator’s feet. The sound grew closer. She pulled the weapon to her chest, bumping her chin.

Kate craned her neck and peered around the corner. His shadow grew and shrank in the headlights. Her chest rose as she filled her lungs with air.

“Don’t move!” Kate screamed, raising her arms up in the air and sending the log flying toward the shadow. It clipped the side of the barn, flew back in her direction, and hit her head. Her legs wobbled and everything went black.

Chapter Five

Will knelt down next to Kate on the dirt-packed ground. The glow of the sun peeked over the horizon, beaming through the barn rafters. The log lay just inches from her head. She was still breathing and returning to consciousness. A small bit of laughter popped out.
She must be crazy
. What was she doing over here? With a log?

Her eyelids fluttered. Will pulled his arms out of his jacket, compressed it into a ball, and placed it on the ground to create a makeshift pillow. He slid his hands underneath her head, lifted it, and rested it on the jacket.

“What…what happened?” Blood ran down her fingers as she pulled her hand away from her head and held it in front of her.

He lifted a piece of the jacket sleeve, partially underneath her head, and touched the wound, soaking up the excess blood.

“What in the world were you doing slinging this piece of wood around?”

“I saw lights over here and I thought someone might be robbing Emma. I wanted to make sure she was safe.”

“Did it occur to you that someone might be out tending to the animals?” He lifted his eyebrows in hopes she got the drift.

“Not this early in the morning.” Kate pushed her elbows against the ground to sit up. “Where I come from, when someone is milling around before daylight, they’re most likely up to no good.” Kate looked into his eyes.

“Stay put.” Will pressed his hands against her shoulders to keep her still. “You just knocked yourself out. I need to make sure you don’t have a concussion.”

“Well, I’m not seeing any stars. That’s a good sign, right?”

Will’s face wrinkled and he tried not to laugh at her comment. “Concussions are a serious matter. Are you feeling nauseous at all? Lightheaded?”

“Not so far.”

He couldn’t let her leave in good conscience. “You need to stay here for a bit. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

Kate remained speechless. She continued to soak the blood from her brow with the sleeve.

“To answer your earlier question, I’m here because Emma needs the help.” He adjusted his sitting position. “She has brain cancer.” He looked away and swallowed hard. He pulled both of his lips in. “She doesn’t have much time.”

Kate sat up. “Oh Will, I am so sorry.” She touched his arm and placed her hand back on her heart. “Is there anything I can do for her?”

“Feed the animals,” he said in jest. He knew this city girl wouldn’t have anything to do with a farm.

Her eyes crinkled. “Animals kind of freak me out. The closest I’ve ever gotten to a cow is the hamburger I ate the other day.” Kate chuckled, then grimaced as she pressed the sleeve against her head again. “But I’ll do it if it would help Emma.”

“You would?” His head went back and he shot her a look that must’ve made her feel like she was headed to a mental institution. Did he misunderstand her simple answer?

“Sure. I’ll help.”

“But you don’t even know her.”

Kate’s hands pushed against her thighs as she stood. Will slid his hand underneath her arm to help support her.

“Are you feeling dizzy at all? Faint?”

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t think you need any stitches, but it wouldn’t hurt to get that cut checked out in town.”

Kate brushed off the front of her pants with her hands.

“For now, you need to get home, get that cleaned up, and get a little rest.”

“I can come in the morning. What time do you want me here?”

“I usually get started at four.” Will leaned against the side of one of the stalls just inside the barn door, still processing her answer.

“Wow, that’s early.” She curled her upper lip.

“You can still back out.”

“I said I would be here and I will. You’d better have a big pot of strong coffee.”

“As long as you don’t try to attack me with a piece of wood.” Will laughed.

“I won’t.” Kate smiled. “Unless you tease me.”

Kate walked out of the barn, and Will moved to the edge of the building to watch her leave. He laughed at her disheveled look. Her sweater was torn and she had a cut on her head. She was a mess. A beautiful mess.

***

Kate squinted her eyes in the early morning sunlight. Her head pounded as she trudged from Emma’s barn back home. “When will you learn not to do stupid things?”

She walked through the front door and into the living room. It was hard to walk through the entryway without catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the opposite wall, especially now with her bruised and cut forehead.
Real attractive.
She grabbed a rag out of the closet and wiped her brow, blinking back lightheadedness as she pressed it against her wound again.

As she sat down on the couch and rested her head back on the cushion, Kate thought about her offer to help Emma. She could handle folding laundry or cleaning. But working with animals? She didn’t even want to smell them, let alone feed them.
What did I get myself into?

But she couldn’t back out now. Philippians 4:13 came to her mind. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
I’m going to need supernatural strength for this.

***

The alarm rang, jarring Kate from sleep. She rolled over and cracked one eye open. 3:45 a.m. She groaned. Why on earth had she set the time so early?

Oh, yeah.
Emma needed her help.

Kate flung back the covers and sat up, then wished she hadn’t when her head began throbbing. She gingerly touched the side that ached and felt a hard lump from where she’d whacked herself with the log.

She shuffled to the bathroom and downed a couple of Tylenol, then padded to the window. Will was already at the ranch working.

Kate dressed in a pale pink T-shirt and hip-riding denim jeans, then knelt in front of the closet. She tilted the lids of several shoeboxes containing heels, pumps, and sandals before finding a pair of canvas flats.
These should be good enough for ranch work.

She ate a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter and washed it down with a swig of orange juice. No time for coffee to bring her senses to a fully alert state. But no matter—Will would have a pot ready.

A blast of cold air hit her when she opened the door. She pulled a thick cardigan from the coat closet and slid her arms into it before braving the outdoors again.

It didn’t seem natural to be awake and moving so early in the day. The sky was still dark. Yet it glittered with more stars than Kate had ever seen in her life. Her jaw dropped as she gazed up at them in awe. The broad expanse of sky looked as if an entire bottle of glitter had been sprinkled onto a swatch of black velvet.

Kate marveled at God’s creation. It never went unnoticed. Moments like this made her realize God stood next to her, walking by her with every step.

Water droplets on the trees twinkled in the moonlight. Kate tore her gaze from the majestic sight above her to concentrate on avoiding some of the puddles as she journeyed down the street to Emma’s place.

Near the barn, Will threw bales of hay into the back of his truck. Everything from his wide-brimmed hat to his sturdy boots made him look like the cowboys Kate had seen in the movies.

When he turned around and saw her, he leaned against the bumper. “Well I’ll be.”

“I made it. You surprised?”

“Matter of fact…I am.” He jumped into the truck bed to reposition one of the bales. “How’s your head?”

“It hurts, but not as bad as my pride.”

He shared a sympathetic smile.

Kate crossed her arms and rubbed her hands against them to warm herself. She didn’t see or smell any coffee. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing right now.” Will jumped off the truck and landed with bent knees. He walked a few steps into the barn, grabbed another bale of hay, and slung it into the back of his pickup.

Kate checked her watch. She’d arrived on time. But he’d obviously been at this hay transfer for several minutes, which meant he’d arrived early. “I think you’re happy that I came,” she said, hoping her smile would convince him she really did care.

“Your reporter’s instincts tell you that, did they?”

“I proved you wrong,” she replied, matching his churlish tone.

“Wrong about what?” He continued his work, and kept his eyes from meeting hers.

“That a city girl can’t make it on a ranch.”

“You just got here. We’ll see if you can prove yourself.” He pointed in the direction of the barn. “Grab a hay bale and bring it over here. Consider it your first test.” His eyebrows popped up a couple of times, almost taunting her.

She stared for a moment trying to decide where to grab first. Maybe she could roll it out to the truck. Determined to be useful, she gripped the bale and attempted to slide it toward the edge of the pile. Looking easier than she originally thought, Kate dug her fingers into the hay and gave it a good, solid jerk in her direction. It flew off the pile, knocked her down, and landed on top of her.

Will gave a hearty belly laugh. “Little harder than it looks, eh?”

Kate pushed the monstrous bale off of her, sat up, and laughed. “Just a little.”

Will extended his hand and pulled Kate up as though she weighed as much as a feather.

She swiped the excess dirt off her pants and attempted to lift it again, without luck, and decided flipping it end-over-end all the way to the truck might work. Once she got it to the truck, she rested it on the tailgate and bent down to lift it into the truck. “It may take me ten minutes, but I’ll get it done.”

Will finished loading bales until a double layer filled the truck bed. He removed his hat, wiped his brow with a bandana, and replaced the hat. “Ready to ride?”

“I could drive,” she raised her hand like an eager schoolgirl.

“Not my truck.” He pulled keys out of his pocket as he headed for the driver’s side door.

“Seriously?” Kate couldn’t stifle her laughter. She glanced at the truck and back at Will. “You have noticed that it has more dents and scratches on one door than any car at the Demolition Derby?”

Kate grabbed the keys from his hand. “Come on. You worked really hard loading all that hay.” She nodded at the bales in the back. “It’s the least I can do.”

He rolled his eyes and sighed. “You ever driven a stick shift?”

“Sure.” Trevor had promised repeatedly to teach her. But after ten teeth-grinding minutes with her behind the wheel of his car, he’d mumbled something about worn-out clutches and never offered again. Kate didn’t mind. She didn’t think she’d ever have an occasion to need such knowledge. Now she wished she’d pressed the issue a bit more.

Sensing her hesitation, Will took the keys back. “Why don’t ya get in on the other side?” He climbed into the driver’s seat and closed the door.

Kate stared as he lifted a bungee cord off the seat, hooked it to the door latch on the outside, and stretched it into the cab. He hooked the other end to the gun rack on the inside.

“Are you kidding me? That looks real safe. Do I need one for my side?”

“No, but I wouldn’t lean too hard on the door. This ole’ girl’s reliable, but ya never know.” He winked, started the engine, and gave the dashboard a couple of pats.

Kate stepped around the back of the truck. Just before she reached the passenger door, her right foot sank down into a mud hole. When she raised her leg again, her foot came up without a shoe. The mud sucked it clean off.

She dipped her toe back where she’d last stepped, and felt nothing but cold, wet goo. She dragged her foot around in the gunk without success.

“What’re you doing out there?” Will hollered.

“I lost my shoe.” Kate leaned against the cold metal on the side of the truck as she squatted down, balancing on one foot and lifting the muddy bare one behind her. She carefully twisted herself around so she could search through the mud for her missing shoe. Unfortunately, the darkness blended with the black earth, making it impossible to see.

She dipped the tip of her finger into the mud, then dug deeper and deeper until her entire hand was submerged. Finally she felt something. She grasped the canvas edge and yanked. With a slurping sound, the shoe finally came out, dripping globs of slime.

It was ruined. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to put it back on. But her bare foot was freezing as it bobbed in the air. Kate hopped up in the truck and closed the door.

Will put the truck in gear and took off across the field, a sly grin on his face.

Kate had to keep one hand braced on the roof of the cab and the other on the door as the vehicle bounced over the bumpy pasture. The bobbing headlights revealed a large expanse of grass.

Will slammed on the brakes, tossing Kate against the dash. A deer scampered across their path, missing the truck by mere inches. Kate sat back in her seat and felt thankful for holding on tight. The truck remained in idle while Will craned his neck to see past her.