Knit to Be Tied (2 page)

The breakfast and lunch café was darkened now but Kelly spied a thermos on the counter in front of the grill. Unscrewing the top, she sniffed the rich aroma of grill cook Eduardo's strong brew. She poured a black stream into her empty mug. “Ahhhhh, yes. That's better,” she said after taking a big sip.

Burt laughed softly, watching her. “You know, Cassie has learned how to make the coffee so you can't tell Eduardo didn't make it.”

“You're kidding,” Kelly said as she replaced the thermos and walked toward the hallway once more.

Burt followed after her. “Nope. Jennifer says Cassie watched Eduardo make the coffee over and over, observing him carefully, before he let her make it. Pete said they were all surprised how good it was. Except Eduardo. He just grinned.”

“That sounds like Cassie. She's at her tennis lessons now, right?”

“Yes. I dropped her over there and stayed to watch.
Brother, those kids in the class have gotten really good this summer. Their shots just whiz over that net.”

Kelly turned and walked back into the central yarn room. “I'll have to go see one of her classes before school starts. I could tell her skills had improved whenever I saw her play a tennis match. It's such fun to watch young kids learn new skills in sports and watch them gain confidence.”

“That's what makes you a good coach, Kelly,” Burt said, giving her a fatherly pat on the shoulder. “As for Mimi and me, we're simply amazed at how fast Cassie is growing up. She's as tall as Mimi now. And . . . and she's filled out. Well, you know. It brings back memories of watching my daughter grow up all those years ago.”

Kelly gave Father Figure Burt a big smile. “Cassie's growing up, for sure. And this must be the day for memories. Mimi and I were reminiscing earlier about that year when I first showed up at Lambspun's door. Or rather, outside in Pete's Café. I remember Jennifer waited on our table when Mimi and I sat in the patio garden. That was seven years ago, Burt.”

Burt's eyes widened and he shook his head. “Ohhhhh, don't get me started on bringing back all those memories, Kelly. We'll be here past closing.”

The doorbell's tinkle sounded, and Kelly saw friend Lisa Gerrard walk into the foyer. A young brunette woman who looked faintly familiar accompanied her.

“Hey, you two,” Lisa called to them with a big smile as she walked into the central yarn room. “I brought one of my grad student friends to see the shop. She wants to start a knitting project.”

“Well, she's come to the right place,” Kelly said as she walked around the round maple wood table, which was piled high with soft balls of blue and green and purple yarns along with open magazines with patterns marked. She noticed that Lisa's friend was still in the foyer, clearly admiring all the yarns and fibers displayed there.

Lisa beckoned to her friend, who was stroking some of the merino wool and silk combinations, clearly entranced. “Nancy, come and meet my friends.”

Nancy glanced up and quickly joined Lisa. “Wow, I can't believe everything here,” she said, wide-eyed as she looked around the central yarn room.

“If this is your first visit, I suggest you take your time and stroll around,” Burt said. “There are several rooms to the shop and they're all chock-full of fiber.” He gestured around him.

“Nancy's in the same graduate psychology program I am at the university.” Lisa pointed toward the empty knitting table in the main room. “All the pattern books are in there. So why don't we get started.”

“It's nice to meet you, Nancy. This is an unbelievable place,” Kelly said with a smile. “I think I saw you sitting outside in the garden at one of the corner tables. It looked like you were studying.”

Nancy's pretty face lit up with a smile. “Yes, that was me. We have to use every bit of spare time we can find to keep up,” she said, gazing about the central yarn room at the kaleidoscope of color surrounding them. “This is just beautiful. I had no idea.”

“I hope to see you here again, Nancy. Enjoy yourself,” Burt said as he headed toward the front of the shop.

Lisa had already ushered Nancy into a place at the knitting table and was perusing the bookshelves. Kelly followed after them. “What's the project you're working on, Nancy?”

Nancy gave a shy smile then glanced away. “I'm starting a baby sweater, and I've never knitted any baby clothes before. Only sweaters for myself. So I figured I'd call on Lisa for help.” Her smile returned, brightening her face again.

“You'll do great, Nancy,” Lisa said, book in hand. “Since you've already done adult sweaters, you're familiar with most of the techniques. This book will help a lot. It's a step-by-step approach.”

“Oh, just what I need,” Nancy said, setting her small backpack on the table.

Kelly decided not to distract newcomer Nancy with any more conversation while she was trying to learn. Instead, another idea presented itself. Maybe this was a good time to pick out a yarn for one of those charity afghans Mimi was making. She could have it finished by fall, in time for the cold weather. Kelly took another big sip of the rich Cassie-made coffee and headed back into the central yarn room, where she proceeded to lose herself in the wonderland of
color.

“Wooooohooooo!”
Cassie yelled, jumping up from the bleachers the moment Greg's bat made contact with the baseball and sailed high over right field.

“Way to go, Greg!” Lisa shouted over the cheers of the surrounding friends and family members that crowded the City Park ball field bleachers.

Standing beside Lisa, Kelly added her cheers then yelled, “Home run!” as the ball sailed past the fence.

“Boy, I'd love to do that!” Cassie said, then let out another “Woooohooo! Over the fence!”

“Keep working and you will,” Kelly promised, and they settled back on the bleachers again. “You'll get stronger as you get older, too. More muscles.”

“What is it Megan does?” Crooking her right arm up and flexing, Cassie laughed. “Check it out.”

Both Kelly and Lisa laughed. Lisa leaned back against the bleachers. “It's a combination of your muscles getting stronger and your height and weight. All sorts of things go into making a good batter.”

“So if I get taller, I'll bat harder?” Cassie looked at Lisa with an inquisitive expression.

“Well, that's part of it. You also have to be coordinated so your batting motion is smooth. Yours is looking good, so not to worry.”

“Cassie's been doing really well in my batting clinics each year. Her swing has gotten much stronger.” Kelly glanced to Cassie. “You'll be hitting it close to the fence by next summer, I bet.”

“Really?” Cassie's face lit up. “
Awesome!
”

“Totally,” Kelly said with a sly grin to Lisa, who just shook her head at Cassie's favorite descriptive word.

“Okay, explain this. Megan's short but muscular. She's tough, and she can knock it just over the fence. But skinny Marty can knock it way over the fence, almost out of the park.” She pointed to Marty, who was at home plate now.

Marty swung at the fastball. “Steee-rike one!” yelled the umpire.

“Marty may be skinny,” Lisa observed. “But he's got a great motion and he's tall. And he's got muscles. Not as big as Steve's or Greg's, but big enough.” Lisa grinned.

“Who're you guys talking about?” a teenaged boy's voice said from the side of the bleachers.

Kelly turned and watched Eric Thompson, rancher Curt Stackhouse's grandson, climb effortlessly over the bleacher
rows to reach them. Long legs. Fourteen years old like Cassie, both of them growing like the proverbial weeds.

“Here's another long drink of water,” Kelly said as Eric plopped himself onto the bleacher in front of Kelly and Lisa and next to Cassie. “Have you grown another inch since I saw you last? It's only been a month.”

“Uhhhhh, maybe.” Eric gave her a little grin.

“Yeah, he has,” Cassie piped up. “Every time I catch up with him, he passes me,” Cassie said, shaking her head.

“That's because he's a guy. They're usually taller,” Kelly observed good-naturedly.

Cassie just made a face. But Eric grinned and said, “That's what I tell her, but when I do, she throws things at me.”

Kelly and Lisa both laughed, recognizing typical fourteen-year-old behavior. “What does she throw at you?” Lisa asked. “Nothing heavy, I hope.”

“French fries mostly,” Eric teased, glancing slyly at Cassie.

“Oh, I bet you really hate that, don't you?” Kelly played along.

Eric just grinned. Cassie, meanwhile, reached over and scavenged through Steve's leftovers in a nearby white plastic container. Finding a limp French fry, she tossed it at Eric, who snatched it from the air and popped it into his mouth.

“Steee-rike two!” the umpire called.

“Uh-oh,” Kelly said, turning her attention to the field.

Just then a strong female voice called from the front of the bleachers, “Knock it out, Marty!”

Kelly and friends looked down and saw friend Megan cheering her husband as she returned from the concession
stand. Other friendly cheers and shouts rose up. Marty was a dependable batter and a greased-lightning base runner. Kelly had seen him steal two bases in one inning on a regular basis. Fast feet.

The ball flew from the pitcher's hand, and Marty swung again. This time, he connected with a crack of the bat, and the ball soared up, up, and away. Kelly and everyone jumped up cheering as Marty was halfway to first base before the shortstop got to the ball. Down below, Megan was jumping up and down, French fries drifting to the ground.

Plop
. The ball landed right in the shortstop's glove. Marty was out.

“Awwwwwwwww!” Cassie complained.

“Darn it!” Lisa yelled.

“Bad luck,” Eric said, leaning back onto the bleachers. “Next time.”

“Yeah, next time,” Cassie echoed.

Megan climbed over the bleachers and settled right in front of Cassie and Eric. “Who wanted the taco? Was it you, Lisa? And Cassie, here's your hot dog.” Megan handed over the hot dog smothered in mustard and ketchup and relish. “Cassie, hand Lisa the taco, please.”

“Sure thing,” Cassie said before taking a big bite of the juicy-looking hot dog. She handed Lisa the paper-wrapped taco while she munched the big bite.

Kelly caught Eric eyeing the tempting ballpark treat and was about to get one for him when Megan handed over another fully loaded dog. “Here you go, Eric. I always get an extra hot dog because I know someone will want it.”

Eric's face lit up. “Really? Gee, thanks, Megan!” He
eagerly accepted the scrumptious-looking treat. And like Cassie, didn't waste any time before taking a huge bite.

Kelly decided she couldn't stand the temptation any longer. “Okay, that's it. I have to have one of those,” she said, rising from the bleacher row.

“Isn't that Steve coming up to bat?” Lisa said, nibbling the edges of her taco. Compared to the fully loaded hot dogs, the taco was positively dainty.

“I'll cheer him on from the concession stand,” Kelly joked as she used her long legs to clear one bleacher row after another until she reached the ground. Her boyfriend, Steve, was settling into his stance.

“Outta the park, Steve!” Kelly yelled as she headed for the concession stand. Then she noticed friend Jennifer and boyfriend Pete walking toward her. Jennifer held a container with soft drinks and Pete had a huge bag of popcorn. “Hey there, you two. Cassie said you were here at the game.”

“Yeah, we got stopped by Mimi and Burt. They were leaving early,” café owner Pete said.

“They're going to take a day trip to Denver tomorrow,” Jennifer added. “Take some time to see a theater production maybe.”

“They offered to take Cassie to see her grandfather while there, but I didn't want them to spend their time doing that. They deserve some time together,” Pete observed sagely.

“Definitely. Both of them are always working.”

“How's the game going?” Pete asked, peering at the field. Steve had just popped a foul ball and was jogging back to home plate.

“They're even right now, but their pitcher is really sharp.
So I don't know if the guys can pull off a win this time. Greg hit a homer, but Marty struck out.”

“Steee-rike one!” the umpire's voice called.

“Uh-oh,” Jennifer said, staring at the ball field.

“That's Steve at bat,” Pete observed. “He'll hit it out.”

“I sure hope so,” Kelly said, watching the pitcher catch the baseball thrown from the catcher. “That pitcher has a wicked fastball. The best I've seen in this league. Must be a newcomer because I haven't seen him before.”

The pitcher began his windup and let fly. The ball whizzed toward the plate. Steve swung hard . . . and missed. The ball was safe inside the catcher's mitt.

“Steee-rike two!” the umpire called.

“Wow, he is fast,” Pete said, looking surprised.

Kelly watched Steve stretch the bat behind his shoulders, then take a couple of practice swings before settling into his stance again.

The pitcher retrieved the tossed ball again, wound up, and whipped it toward home plate. This time, Steve swung and connected, sending the ball toward left field.

Kelly, Jennifer, and Pete all broke into loud cheers as did the fans on the bleachers behind them. Steve barely made it to second base as the left fielder sent the ball to the second baseman.

“Wow! That sure made up for the strikes,” Pete said with a grin.

“It sure does. Now it's a ball game.” She jerked her thumb toward the bleachers. “Lisa and Megan are there with Cassie and Eric. Do you want me to get you guys something from the concession stand? I'm starving for a hot dog.”

“Naw, I'm good,” Pete said. “Jen, do you want anything?”

“I'll go with Kelly and get some snacks for the kids. Eric's mom and dad are taking Cassie and Eric and some of their friends to the movies tonight after the game,” Jennifer said as she followed after Kelly.

“It's so good that the kids are doing things in a group,” Kelly said as she and Jennifer joined the back of the concession stand line.

“Oh, yeah.” Jennifer nodded. “We don't want them pairing off too early.”

Kelly smiled at her dear friend's parental observation. Ever since Pete's niece Cassie had moved in with Jennifer and Pete two years ago, Kelly and friends had witnessed a fascinating transformation. Pete and Jennifer became parents, in fact. Pete's grandfather Ben had been raising Cassie on his own until his massive heart attack two years ago. Cassie was only a toddler when her mother, Tanya, Pete's music-loving sister, had tired of her brief stint as a mother and went back to her former lifestyle—following one rock band after another as they played all over the Rocky Mountain West. Boyfriends came and went, it seemed to Kelly. Tanya would show up once a year or so for a quick visit and then hit the road again. A wayward spirit.

Kelly glanced at her close friend Jennifer and noticed a different expression on her face. A worried expression. Curious, Kelly asked, “Is something wrong, Jen? You look like you're worrying about something. Either that, or you have a stomachache.” She smiled.

Jennifer gave Kelly a half smile in return. “Boy, we know each other so well, we can't hide a thing.”

Concerned now, Kelly leaned forward. “What's up? Are you okay? Is Pete okay?”

“We're good. We're good.” Jennifer nodded. “It's not us. It's . . . it's Tanya. Pete's had a couple of phone calls from her.”

“What kind of phone calls? Does she need money or something?”

Jennifer shook her head. “No, no. She's been asking to see Cassie. Or rather, have Cassie come down and stay with her in Denver for a while.”

Kelly didn't like the sound of that at all. “What do you mean, stay with her for a while? Tanya's never in one place long enough for Cassie to stay with her.”

Jennifer's big brown eyes looked up at Kelly. “Don't we all know it. But she's telling Pete that she's settled down with one guy, Donnie, in Denver. It's been a year now, which is pretty long for Tanya.”

“Oh, I'm really impressed,” Kelly said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jennifer gave Kelly a crooked smile. “Those were my thoughts exactly. Anyway, Tanya says she wants to spend more time with Cassie. She wants Cassie to stay with her for a while before school starts again. And before she and Donnie go out on the road again.”

Kelly screwed up her face. “She can't be serious. Cassie's in the midst of her softball team's final games. And Megan says she's got tennis matches scheduled, too. It's the last month of summer.” She gestured in aggravation. “Cassie's got a life here. She's busy with her friends. Tanya can't pull her away from all that just because she wants to play mother.”

Jennifer laughed softly. “I can always count on you for an honest reaction, Kelly. Thank you for that. But whether we like it or not, Tanya is Cassie's mother, so Pete has to take her request seriously.”

“Dammit! What's gotten into Tanya?”

Jennifer shrugged. “I don't know. Pete and I figure she's in her late thirties now, so maybe she's having second thoughts about her lifestyle. All those years following the rock bands and musicians around. Maybe she really does want to settle down with this guy. Who knows?”

“Well, she can settle down with What's His Face, but that doesn't mean she can take Cassie with her,” Kelly said indignantly as she moved closer to the front of the concession line.

Jennifer reached out and gave Kelly a quick hug. “That's what Pete and I think, too. We haven't said anything to Cassie yet. Pete's still talking to Tanya. We're hoping she'd agree to having Cassie come down to Denver for a weekend. We'll see. Keep your fingers crossed.”

“All right. But I think you two should go talk to a lawyer and a family social worker or whatever. Start finding out what your legal rights are. You two have been Cassie's de facto parents for over two years now.” Kelly looked Jennifer in the eye and dropped her voice.

Jennifer smiled. “Pete's already called Marty. We're going to see him on Monday. Start the legal proceedings to formally gain custody.”

Kelly let out a long-held breath. “Okaaaaay. That makes me feel a whole lot better.” The line moved forward again, and Kelly gave the teenager behind the counter a big smile.
“I want a hot dog with chili and ketchup and mustard and relish.”

The teenage girl blinked. “You want all of that on one hot dog?”

“Yeah. Why not?” Kelly said with a laugh.

•   •   •

Kelly
started across the gravel driveway separating her cottage from the Lambspun knitting shop. Monday afternoon's sun was blazing early-August hot. In another two or three weeks, the temperatures should slowly start to inch downward toward the mid and low eighties. September in Northern Colorado was usually very warm and mild and sunny, sunny, sunny. As usual, the dependability of that Colorado sunshine was one of the things Kelly loved best about living in her old hometown of Fort Connor. “Hey, Kelly,” Burt's voice sounded from the café patio garden.