Heart's Design: A Contemporary Christian Romance (17 page)

When Liesel called her earlier in the day, Caroline had hinted around—broadly and in a
not
so subtle way—until Liesel told her what she knew about Jenica. What were good friends for if not to keep her informed? Liesel had mentioned Beverly’s habit of purposely mispronouncing Jenica’s name.

“Jenica, actually. Jenica Larsen. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Caroline Prescott. It’s nice to meet you, too.” She would have extended her hand but Jenica had both hands wrapped around something valuable—one around Seth’s arm and the other with a figurine.

“How do you and Seth know each other?” Although spoken in a neutral, conversational way, there was underlying meaning in the gaze Jenica trained on her.

“We’re old friends,” Caroline answered before Seth could speak.

“Seth, you didn’t tell me you knew Caroline Prescott.” Jenica playfully squeezed his arm.

What she meant by that, Caroline didn’t want to guess. Probably something along the lines of the saleswoman knowing her by reputation.

Jenica held up a small figurine. “I collect Hummels from Germany. Isn’t this adorable?”

“Yes, it is.” Her mother had inherited a collection of Hummels from
her
mother, one of many collections in the mausoleum. Caroline fixed her gaze on Seth. “Be sure and take very good care of it. It’s quite valuable.” Let Seth think what he wanted about that line.

Jenica’s eyes narrowed. So very blue, those eyes. If she married Seth, they’d have darling children with thick dark hair and blue eyes. And perfect teeth. These two even had matching pearly whites. How lovely. Where was the justice?

“What are you buying?” Seth said. Good to know the man had recovered his voice. While he didn’t try to dislodge Jenica’s hold on his arm, he shifted from one foot to the other and shoved his free hand into the pocket of his jeans.

“A curio display case for my grandmother’s antique doll collection.”

“Oh, how sweet!” Jenica piped in. “Of course, if they belonged to your grandmother, they weren’t antiques when she got them, were they?”

The expression on Seth’s face was priceless. Maybe Jenica should enter that beauty contest. Caroline bit her tongue and mentally chided herself for such an unkind thought. She’d be confessing that one later on.

“Miss Prescott, if you could please sign here, we’ll get you set up for delivery.”

Caroline smiled. “Jenica, I’m sure I’ll see you again. You two have a good day.”

“I’m sure we will.” Jenica held up the figurine, blissfully ignorant as to Caroline’s underlying meaning. “Sethie’s just the best ever.” Leaning on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on Seth’s cheek, leaving the imprint of her pink lips.

Turning back to the counter, Caroline swallowed her smile.
Sethie?

As she climbed back into her Pathfinder, Caroline caught sight of Seth and Jenica leaving the store. That was surprising. They didn’t have enough time to buy the Hummel. Maybe she’d changed her mind. Her arm wasn’t draped over Seth’s and his expression wasn’t one of a guy having a great time. After helping Jenica into the passenger seat, he hopped inside, started the engine and left the lot. Caroline doubted he’d even seen her.

Crossing her arms on the steering wheel, the engine idling, Caroline prayed. Because it seemed the thing to do in the moment. “Lord, I hope you’ll forgive me for those uncharitable thoughts in the Antique Barn.” Finished with her short prayer a minute later, she put the vehicle in gear and pulled out onto the main road, headed for home.

Hannah’s right
. Lord help her, but Jenica Larsen wasn’t the right woman for Seth.

Chapter 20
~~♥~~

Saturday morning dawned beautiful but colder than Caroline expected. Her quilt was so warm, and she snuggled under her covers, hating to climb out of the bed. Since she’d wanted time for her hair to dry, she’d taken her shower the night before. Tossing and turning for close to an hour, she finally thrust aside the bed covers and padded to the bathroom in her red flannel pajamas. She’d bought out the L.L. Bean catalog as soon as she’d moved to Maine. The well-known store was based in Freeport, Maine, after all, and she wanted to be loyal to her new home state.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she pulled on her most comfortable jeans and a Wellesley sweatshirt. She tugged on her thick socks and then laced the hiking boots before going back into the bathroom to swoop her hair into a high ponytail. As an afterthought, she grabbed her dark green
Maine is for Lovers
hat from the closet—she’d “won” it a White Elephant gift exchange at the church Christmas party—and tugged it down over her head, pulling her ponytail out through the back.

Chomping on a granola bar and gulping down hot tea, she listened to the morning news and then read a few chapters in her new book while she waited for Seth’s arrival. At 8:30 on the dot, she heard his knock on the front door. The man was punctual. Good quality. Still chewing on the granola bar, she pulled open the door. “Hey, Seth.” Keeping her attitude casual around this man would be best for her sanity.

“Morning, Caroline. Ready?” Seth eyed her jeans and sweatshirt, truly the oldest things she owned, as if she were dressed in the finest clothing. What was up with him?

“Just about. Come on in for a minute.” She stepped aside for him to enter her house.

“Nice hat.” She caught the humor in his eyes as he passed by her and walked into the living room. Goodness, the man smelled great, all soap and water clean. He hadn’t shaved—no reason to for a mountain hike—and sported that appealing stubble. Frustratingly appealing.

“Want a granola bar or some coffee?” Might as well be hospitable.

“No, thanks. I’m set.” He glanced around the living room. “Wow, this place looks a lot different from…” At least he made it sound like a compliment.

“When Harry lived here? Yes, I know.” She took another bite of her granola bar. “I wasn’t into the whole fishing tackle theme. And the olive green, camouflage, and mustard yellow accents didn’t work for me. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

Seth grinned. He really shouldn’t do that. That dimple had a life all its own. No wonder girls across the Oxford Hills and beyond must have a hard time resisting him. Not his fault, of course, and genetics surely had a lot to do with it.

“I guess it doesn’t bother you that they found old Harry dead in the bathtub, huh? You’re tough, Caroline. I’ve got to give you credit.”

Caroline choked down the last bite of her granola bar. “Didn’t know that. Thanks so much for the information.” She made a mental note to order a new tub on Monday.

He walked farther into the living room. “Something like that would freak out a lot of girls.”

Yeah, it probably would. Maybe she’d hold off on ordering that tub. Oh, skip it. She’d decide later. Judging by the first three minutes in Seth’s company this morning, it was going to be an interesting day.

“Do I get the nickel tour?”

“Sure,” she said. “I’ll even give you the upgraded dime tour. Special only for you today. Come with me.”

He complimented her eclectic little home with its unusual pieces and colorful jewel tone accents. She was proud of her choices and it pleased her that Seth seemed to appreciate her first attempts at decorating.

“You’ve got good taste. Elegant but functional. And fun.” Seth’s gaze landed on a side table she’d bought that looked like stacked books. The titles were on the “spines” of the books and she’d bought it on the spot when she’d spied
The Maltese Falcon
among them.

“Comes from growing up in the mausoleum.” When he cocked a brow, she told him about the nickname she and Bryce shared for their homestead on Beacon Hill.

A few minutes later, she grinned when they left the house and she spied the
I Dig Rocks
license plate on the front of the truck. She stuffed her arms into her down jacket and zipped it up, waiting as he opened the passenger door. After helping her into the truck, Seth climbed inside while she glanced around the interior. “Thanks for cleaning up the place. Looking good.”

“Jenica’s been getting after me and it’s long overdue. I promise you my condo is meticulous.” He flashed her a disarming grin. As if that would make the mention of his girlfriend more palatable. Kat and Paulina were right. Men could be clueless. To be fair, so could women.

“Do you hire a maid service for the condo?”

He grunted and smirked at her grin. “You weren’t supposed to ask that. But yes.”

As Seth started the truck and pulled out of her driveway, she stole a glance at him. He wore another flannel shirt—this time a blue plaid—over a dark blue Henley. A sleeveless navy down vest, jeans and hiking boots completed the rugged picture. This attraction for Seth Barnes was downright chemical. It wasn’t like she could turn off the attraction like a light bulb. But she needed to try.

“We’re going to access the trailheads from Grafton Notch State Park,” he told her as they traveled through nearby Bethel, Maine and he turned onto Route 2 East. “There’s three trailheads to access Old Speck, but I hope you don’t mind that I’ve chosen the one we’ll take.”

“That’s fine. I trust your judgment.” Sitting back in the seat, Caroline enjoyed the view. When Seth spoke again, she took the opportunity to focus on the wonderful view sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Old Speck is the fourth highest mountain in the state and the tallest, northernmost mountain in the Mahoousuc Range that stretches for thirty miles across Maine and New Hampshire. You can see Old Speck now if you sit forward.” He waited as she did as he suggested. “Now look up.”

Caroline pointed out the front window. “The mountain that’s to the north…east of the Presidentials in the White Mountains, right? Or am I turned around?”

“Ding ding ding. You win the prize,” Seth said, grinning as he tapped the steering wheel.

“I read up on the Presidentials before we started our trip into the White Mountains,” she told him. “Have you ever hiked in the Presidentials? I hear they’re treacherous.”

“Rigorous is more how I’d describe it. Drastic gains and loss of elevation. The summit of Mount Washington can have snow and ice year round and hurricane force winds or thick clouds more than a hundred days a year. It also held the record for a long time of the highest wind speed recorded at the earth’s surface, something crazy like over two hundred miles per hour. The weather can be unpredictable and erratic with extreme conditions.”

“Makes me wonder why anyone would try to climb them,” Caroline said, shaking her head. “You’d have to be pretty dedicated to brave conditions like that. So have
you
hiked them?”

Seth made a turn. “Yep. The string of summits is all over 4,000 feet and I’ve hiked different ones, but not Mount Washington. I did the traverse a couple of times when I was younger and in better shape.”

“What’s the traverse?” He seemed to be in fine shape now. Caroline twisted her lips not to grin.

“Crossing over all the summits from north to south, starting with Madison and ending with Eisenhower. For the record, there’s other peaks named after Henry Clay, Charles Jackson—a nineteenth century geologist—Daniel Webster, Benjamin Franklin, Sam Adams, John Quincy Adams, and…drum roll, please…Abigail Adams.”

“Yay, Abigail!” Caroline laughed and pumped her fist in the air. “One for the First Ladies.”

Seth laughed with her. “I’m glad you didn’t fall asleep on me. Some girls might…” He let that one go, but he had to be thinking of Jenica. Caroline didn’t know her, of course, but after their brief meeting, she didn’t strike her as the type to find talk of mountains enthralling.

As if she could fall asleep. She could pretty much listen to Seth talk endlessly about nothing. “I’m impressed by your knowledge. You really do love Maine, don’t you?”

He glanced at her with appreciation shining in those blue eyes. “Sure. It’s home. What’s not to love?”

Indeed. Caroline reluctantly tore her gaze away and forced her attention on the scenery outside the truck again.

Seth pointed out the signs for Screw Auger Falls and Moose Cave, telling her she might like to visit them sometime.

“Sure thing, as long as we can visit the gift shop,” she said. “I could pick up a pair of those moose poop earrings I’ve heard so much about.”

Flashing her yet another unsettling grin, Seth turned off the road at a sign marked for the AT parking area. After paying the minimal fee and parking the truck, he slid out of his seat, and grabbed the backpack from the back.

“You look like you brought enough for an army in there,” she teased. “Do you need help carrying the load?”

“Nope. I’ve got it covered.” Without waiting for him, Caroline opened the passenger door and slid down to the ground. She paused to admire the tall evergreen trees at the base of the trail.

Seth stopped beside her. “Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose. I can definitely see how Evergreen got its name. By the way, what’s the nickname for Maine?”

“There are several,” he said, “but The Pine Tree State is one of the most common.” He settled the backpack on his shoulders. “Let’s go.”

“Mountain Man, if it’s some macho man thing that’s keeping you from asking me to help out, you can forget about it. I don’t want your back to go out on my account. And there’s no way on earth I’m carrying you back down the mountain.”

He chuckled. “Trust me, City Girl, I’ve carried a lot heavier backpacks on my camping trips. I promise that if I start to buckle under the load, I’ll holler for your assistance. Then you can come and save me.”

“You do that.” She stalked ahead of him. “Come on, then. We don’t have all day.” Sure, that sounded annoyingly flippant, but it was the only defense mechanism she had at her disposal. If she kept Seth at bay with her sarcasm then maybe she wouldn’t feel as drawn to him or conflicted whenever she was around him. A mixed blessing, to be sure.

“We’re taking the Standard Route,” he told her. “In a quarter mile, the trail splits and you have your choice. The right fork climbs steeply up and over the Eyebrow, an exposed cliff with great views. The left stays lower longer but then climbs steeply to join the Eyebrow trail. Either way there are great views and the forest is breathtaking. The ridge is three and a half miles in and the AT bears right at about four thousand feet. We’ll go to the summit and then go back along the AT to Grafton Notch.”

“I’m not sure what you just said, but if you’re giving me a choice, the words ‘exposed cliff’ don’t exactly appeal to me. Let’s take the left Eyebrow or whatever. Tell me something. What’s this AT of which you speak?”

“Oh, sorry. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, AT for short. Extends from Springer Mountain in Georgia and runs to Mount Katahdin here in Maine. The Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail are known as the Triple Crown of long distance hiking here in the U.S.”

Stopping on the trail, Caroline high-fived him.

“What was that for?”

She resumed walking.
For being wonderful you.
“For being so knowledgeable.”

“Thanks. There’s no one I’d rather share it with.” He chuckled. “Don’t you feel special?”

“Actually, I do.” She didn’t dare look at him.

“This next stretch of trail isn’t wide enough to walk side-by-side,” Seth told her about twenty minutes into their hike. “You go ahead first and I’ll bring up the rear.”

Wonderful. Just what a girl needed on a cold, overcast Saturday morning. A guy following her up a mountain and staring at her backside. Not that he would, but still…disconcerting thought.

They talked about her work, his work, the upcoming church activities, food, and anything else Caroline could think of to keep the conversation flowing. Occasionally, they’d lapse into silence, but it was a comfortable silence, their boots snapping on twigs and branches the only sounds. Seth pointed out some of the flora and fauna and she squealed when a raccoon scampered in front of her path. The calls of various birds echoed at times, and she breathed in deeply of the fresh air as they made their way farther up Old Speck. They passed other hikers every so often and exchanged quick greetings.

Spying a large rock an hour into their hike, she dropped down on it, trying not to let Seth see that she was out of breath. Not much, but slightly. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful up here.”

Seth was doing fine even with the heavy load. And he used to be in
better
shape? He lowered the backpack to the ground and pulled out two plastic water bottles, handing one to her.

“Thanks.” Twisting off the cap, she took a long, slow drink. “This tastes so refreshing.”

“Nothing beats it.” As he took a long drink, his intense blue eyes never left hers. “Do you want a snack?”

“Depends. What’s in your big bag of tricks?”