Knit to Be Tied (5 page)

Jennifer smiled. “You guess right. Cassie brought that up first thing. She said she couldn't go to Denver until those games were over. And that leaves the last weekend in August as the only one available. The following weekend is Labor Day, and Pete and I have already promised we'd join Mimi and Burt and Cassie on a camping trip up in Cache La Poudre Canyon.”

“Oh, yes, I remember Mimi saying something about that.” Kelly grinned. “Apparently Mimi and Burt and Cassie will be doing all the cooking so you two can sit back and relax.”

“That's exactly how they explained it,” Jennifer said with a smile. “Of course, I'm not big on camping outdoors, but Burt has assured me they have special tents with comfy air mattresses and all that.” She wagged her head. “But I don't know. The idea of trying to walk out in the dark to the outdoor privy, well, that's not exactly my idea of a good time. I'm afraid there would be a bear waiting for me behind some tree.”

Kelly sank back in the chair and laughed out loud. “I don't think you'd have to worry about bears waiting for you in the dark. Those are small black bears up in the canyon anyway. About a hundred pounds.”

“That's big enough to do some damage.”

“Shoot. Carl almost weighs that. He's over ninety pounds.”

“Even so, a hundred pounds is big enough to be scary.”

“Actually, the only one who'd be hunting at night would be puma. Mountain lions. Cats hunt at night,” Kelly said with a deliberately wicked smile.

Jennifer's eyes popped wide. “Thank you
so
much, Kelly! Now I'm really scared. I'll probably cower in the tent next to Pete all night.”

“You can always take Carl up in the canyon with you. Of course, he'll be barking during the night whenever he hears all the different creatures moving around.” She grinned.

Jennifer gave her an exasperated look. “You are
impossible, you know that. I'm going to tell Julie to substitute hot tea for your coffee,” Jennifer teased as she pushed back her chair.

“So it's decided then? Cassie will go down to Denver weekend after next.”

Jennifer nodded as she gave a little stretch. Julie was walking their way with a glass of iced tea and Kelly's coffee mug. “Yes. Pete called Tanya last night and told her that was the only weekend Cassie had free before school began. And after the school year started, the fall sports season had games scheduled every weekend. So it's that weekend or wait until holiday vacation days.”

“Well, I hope Tanya understands. Cassie has made a life for herself here, and her mother will simply have to accommodate herself to it if she wants to see her daughter.” Kelly reached out to accept her coffee mug from Julie's outstretched hand.

“Here you go, Kelly,” Julie said, then handed the iced tea to Jennifer. “Sit down, Jen. You can talk to Kelly longer. Three couples have already left and the other two tables are still talking. No rush.”

“Thanks, Julie. I appreciate that. I have to take this new client out to some of the new housing developments in Fort Connor. So we'll be climbing lots of bare staircases and scrambling over dirt all afternoon.”

“Be careful in those new houses,” Kelly warned. “I've been to several that my client Housemann is building. And those new-built staircases are just wooden planks nailed together in some places. No sides, no backs even. Empty spaces to fall through all over the place. Dangerous.”

“Don't worry,” Jennifer said, returning to her chair. “I'm very careful in those new houses. They can be hazardous to a real estate agent's health.”

“For sure,” Julie said with a vigorous nod. “And for the record, I agree with you guys. Cassie's absentee mom will simply have to change her schedule to fit in with Cassie's. Tanya can't just show up and expect Cassie to drop everything and go see her. Not after her mom has practically ignored her all these years.” Julie's pretty face had puckered with a frown. “That's just my two cents. So there.” And with a nod, Julie turned and hurried back to the grill counter. Back to work.

Kelly looked over at her friend, who was smiling after Julie. Kelly waited until Jennifer turned back to her then said, “So
there
.” And gave a definitive nod of her
own.

The Next Morning

Kelly's
cell phone sounded from inside her cottage as she poured fresh water into Carl's large doggy bowl on the backyard patio. Carl immediately began to slurp, long pink tongue splashing water from the bowl.

Kelly slid the patio screen door closed and snatched her ringing phone from the kitchen counter. Lisa's name flashed on the screen. “Hey there. Are you coming to Cassie's game tonight? League games have already started.”

“You bet. I love watching the kids play. Greg will have to miss it because a student friend has a thesis party. I just heard from Megan, too. She was not able to schedule an earlier babysitter so Marty will be coming to the game alone. She hates to miss it, but we'll see her afterwards at your house.”

“It's hard to believe that the school year will start in a couple of weeks. Cassie will be a freshman in high school.”

“I know what you mean. Watching Cassie and Eric grow like weeds these last two years, it's really amazing.”

“Yeah, I know. It seems like only a few months ago Cassie came to live with Jennifer and Pete.” Kelly took a sip from her everyday mug on the counter. The last of her morning coffee. “I've got to start on my client accounts now, but I haven't decided if I'll go on over to the patio garden or inside the shop to work. It's gorgeous outside and will be in the eighties all day.”

“I know. I wish I could be outside but I've got physical therapy patients all this morning, and then I'll be going over my research notes for this psych paper I'm writing. So I'll be working this afternoon.”

“Hey, why don't you come over to the garden patio and study your notes there? No need to close yourself up in some building. I work outside in that patio all the time. Even with customers at the tables. Believe me, it doesn't disturb my concentration at all.”

“Hmmmmm, that is tempting.”

“C'mon. Do yourself a favor. It's the middle of August, and September will be here, and the regular university school year will start. Then you'll be taking another psych class. Enjoy summer while you can.”

“Boy, you are one heckuva salesman, Kelly. I think you're wasted doing accounting.”

Kelly had to laugh. “Ohhhh, no. My dad was a salesman for a national auto parts manufacturer. And I remember how much work he had to put into getting sales. Regularly. Every day. That's a hard job. Accounting is easy compared to that.”

“Easy? Ha! Easy for you maybe,” Lisa teased. “Listen, I've got to get to the sports medicine clinic. My patient will be there in half an hour. I'll see you tonight at the ball field.”

“No, you can see me this afternoon in the café patio garden like I suggested,” Kelly countered.

Lisa's soft laughter sounded over the phone before she clicked off.

Kelly shoved her phone into her white summer pants pocket, then grabbed her empty travel mug and her briefcase bag and headed for the cottage front door. She might as well take her own advice and find a comfy small outdoor table in the café patio garden and start on her client accounts. Besides, one of Eduardo's yummy cinnamon rolls would easily serve as breakfast.

Stepping outside in the beautiful sunny August morning, Kelly checked the cars in the driveway. Breakfast customers. Carl barked once behind her and she turned to see her rottweiler behind the chain-link fence. It was made secure years ago by an addition to the top of the fence to make sure Carl the Explorer didn't go roaming again.

“Keep those squirrels in line, Carl,” Kelly called to her dog. Carl woofed once in reply then trotted back into the yard to do as he was bade.

Kelly walked slowly over to the garden patio, glancing around her and savoring the view of the Rockies in the distance behind the outlines of Old Town Fort Connor. Once more, she was glad that years ago she'd decided to leave the East Coast and stay in Fort Connor and make it her home. Even though that decision meant Kelly had to walk away from her corporate CPA career in Washington, DC, to create
an entirely new accounting career in Fort Connor. And she had done so.

Now, Kelly's high-level accounting expertise was completely focused on two clients. Both of them extremely successful businessmen in entirely different areas. Both of them more than satisfied with the corporate-level accounting that Kelly provided. One of them, Arthur Housemann, older and wiser, called Kelly's level of service “concierge accounting.” Something available to just a privileged few. Kelly had laughed at that description and wished her father were still alive to share her success. But then she looked around her world and her life in Fort Connor, and she knew she had more than enough “family” to share success and struggles with. Kelly counted herself lucky.

As she strolled into the patio garden itself, Kelly spotted a table beside the small outdoor classroom building in the corner of the garden. Kelly promptly claimed it, setting her briefcase bag on the table, and pulled out a chair.

“Hey, Kelly, can I get you some coffee?” Julie asked as she walked along the flagstone path, tray in one hand.

“You're reading my mind again, Julie,” Kelly said and handed over her oversized mug.

“I'll be right back,” Julie promised.

Kelly settled in at the table and pulled out her laptop and client files. The sound of traffic along the busy street was muffled by the tall stucco walls that surrounded the back and side walls of the garden and café.

“Hey there, Kelly,” another familiar voice called.

Kelly looked up to see Father Figure Burt walking
through the garden, heading her way. “Hey, Burt. Want to join me for a cinnamon roll?”

“Don't tempt me, Kelly,” Burt said as he walked up. “I'm trying to stay on my diet. Mimi and I both. We slipped a few times when we were in Denver. Found some new restaurants.”

“You and Mimi deserve to ‘slip' every now and then, if you ask me,” Kelly decreed in her best executive tone. “Both of you are far too good.” Kelly gave Burt an enigmatic smile as she pushed her files and computer across the table. Julie was headed her way with a newly filled coffee mug.

“Here you go, Kelly. Can I get you anything else?” Julie slipped her waitress pad from the pocket of her summer pants.

“Matter of fact, you can bring me one of those yummy cinnamon rolls,” Kelly said. “And bring two forks, would you, please? I'm trying to corrupt Burt.”

“Oh, Lord,” Burt said with a sigh and shook his head. “Believe me, Kelly, neither Mimi nor I need any encouragement to corrupt our diet plans. We're quite capable of doing that ourselves.”

Julie gave a little laugh. “All right. One cinnamon roll and two forks coming up. Can I get you some coffee to go with that, Burt?”

“Oh, why not? It looks like I'm going to need it. Kelly's in a rare mood. I'll need the extra caffeine.”

“One bite won't hurt,” Kelly tempted again.

Burt eyed her over the table. “That's the problem, Kelly. One bite easily leads to another and another.”

“Have you and Mimi been doing your cardio workouts on the treadmills? That's the best way to compensate for a sudden caloric intake,” Kelly said then took a deep drink of Eduardo's dark brew. Black Gold.

“Mostly every day. So we are being pretty good with that. But at our ages, we have to watch the food
and
do the exercise. Can't do one without the other, or the pounds stay on.” He eyed Kelly with a devilish smile. “You and your friends are getting a free ride now because you're in your thirties. You work out regularly, and you can eat all the pizza you want as well as French fries and ballpark desserts. But wait a few years, and you'll notice the pounds take longer to come off. And you have to work harder, too.”

Kelly pondered Burt's advice. “Sage words. I'll store them away for future reference,” she said, suddenly remembering something she wanted to ask Burt. “Changing the subject, has Jennifer talked to you and Mimi about Cassie's mother, Tanya?”

Burt's amused smile disappeared. His entire visage changed. Frown and worry lines that were obscured by a smile only moments ago were plainly visible now. “Yes, she and Pete spoke with us early this morning before the café opened.”

“What do you think about it?” Kelly deliberately held back more of her response. She was more interested in Burt's reaction.

“I have to say I wasn't entirely surprised. It's not unusual for a young woman in Tanya's situation to suddenly decide she wants to get to know the child she'd placed in a relative's care years ago. Usually it happens when the child becomes a teenager, and the mother realizes that the baby
they'd walked away from is nearly grown up. I'm sure it's a shock to Tanya.”

Burt's thoughtful response gave Kelly pause. She realized her first reactions had been entirely emotional, based on what she assumed were Tanya's selfish motives.

“You're kinder in your comments than I was when Jen told me,” Kelly admitted. “I confess I haven't had many good thoughts about Tanya's announcement. Cassie's created a life here, and she's surrounded by people who love her and care about what happens to her. I guess that's what upsets me. Tanya thinking she can simply walk in and yank Cassie away from all that on a whim.”

Burt gave Kelly a fatherly smile she recognized. “That's understandable, Kelly. I feel like that, too. But Pete and Jennifer have to be fair to Tanya and honor her wishes. Especially now that they're going to file for custody. After all, she is Cassie's birth mother.”

“You're right, of course,” Kelly said begrudgingly. “I'm only thinking of Cassie and Pete and Jennifer.”

“And us,” Burt added as Julie walked up to them.

“Here you go, Kelly. One cinnamon roll and two forks.” Julie placed the yummy-looking homemade pastry on the table and two bundles of napkin-wrapped silverware.

“Thanks, Julie. This looks delicious as usual. And smells divine,” Kelly said, sniffing the cinnamon-and-cloves aroma that wafted up from the warm pastry.

“Ohhhh, Lord,” Burt said with a sigh. “I feel my resistance crumbling by the second.”

“Go on, Burt. One bite won't hurt,” Julie tempted before she left to check on other breakfast customers.

Kelly unwrapped the knife and fork and gently sliced into the tender glaze-topped cinnamon roll. She lifted a scrumptious-looking bite to her mouth and savored. “Ummmmmmmmm.”

Burt laughed softly and picked up his silverware.

•   •   •

Kelly
tabbed through the spreadsheet columns that filled her laptop screen. Don Warner's newest Denver development project was already generating expenses. Revenues would not appear for many more months. Kelly was glad she'd been able to convince Warner to establish an extra account to ensure there were enough funds to cover these early developmental costs on new projects.

Her cell phone jangled, jarring Kelly out of her numbers-induced trance. She picked up the phone sitting beside her laptop. Lisa's name flashed. “Hey there. Are you coming over here to enjoy the summer greenery outside? It's after one o'clock.”

“No, I won't get there, Kelly. I'm over here at the university in the outdoor café at the student center plaza. Nancy came up to me after our class, and she was really concerned about her father. Last night he went to see Nancy's old boyfriend, Neil, and, well . . . apparently their meeting didn't go well.”

“Really? I thought you said her father was a counselor for AA and for some other local agencies.”

“Yes, he is. But Nancy says her dad must have lost his temper because he came back to their house all upset. He'd
gone into Neil's favorite bar over in Old Town to talk to him. And apparently instead of talking reasonably, they had an argument. I'm trying to get the rest of the details from Nancy. She's really upset. Crying about Neil, and crying about her dad. She's in the restroom now, wiping the smeared makeup off her face from all the crying.”

“Crying about her dad? Why? Just because he lost his temper? I'd lose my temper at that sleazeball Neil, too.” Kelly took a deep drink of coffee.

“Not just that. Nancy thinks her dad started drinking again. She says he got home really late. And he was talking differently, the way he did before he quit drinking. And she could smell it on his breath.”

“Uh-oh. Not good, not good at all.”

“That's for sure.”

“It sounds like you're trying to counsel Nancy.”

“I'm doing my best. I told her I'd be glad to take her to the women's health center next to the university. That way she can register and start educating herself on prenatal care and make an appointment to see a nurse practitioner. She should have a checkup to make sure there are no health problems that could worsen with pregnancy. Like early-onset diabetes.”

“Oh, boy, that's excellent advice. It sounds like she's definitely keeping the baby.”

“Yes, and she's very serious about nutrition. So that's good.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember everything that Megan was doing when she was pregnant with Molly. All the vitamins and
minerals and healthy foods. I swear, I don't think she had a slice of pizza until after Molly was born,” Kelly said with a laugh.

“You're right. Listen, I see Nancy coming back to the table. I'll see you tonight at the game. Six o'clock.”

“You got it. See you then. Give Nancy my best.”

“Will do,” Lisa said before her phone clicked off.

Kelly looked around at the lunch diners, eating, talking, and relaxing in the balmy August afternoon. Checking her mug, Kelly decided to work inside for a little while. Her previously shady table was now fully in the sun, and sun glare on her laptop screen was annoying. Gathering up her laptop and client files, Kelly headed for the back door of the café. She might as well put in an order for iced coffee while she was passing through.