Under Currents (2 page)

Man, has she changed.

If he remembered correctly, she was a year younger than him.

Julie bent over to pick up Ally’s doll on the ground, and her jeans showed the curve of her bottom. His body responded, leaving him in agony.

Sweet heaven.

It’d been a long time since he’d been with a woman. Considering he hadn’t seen a husband around, he wondered if she were divorced. It wouldn’t matter how available she was. She’d been polite, but talking to him made her nervous.

She’s a class act, and I’m scum. Don’t even consider it.

He blew out a frustrated breath, then trudged inside.

♦♦♦

Julie grabbed the ringing phone and looked to see who was calling at six in the morning. “Hello, Dad. What’s up?”

“You’d better get down to Boats and Floats.”

“Not again?”

“Fraid so. I came down to pump your tubes and found a mess.”

“I’ll drop the kids off with mom and be right over.”

By the time Julie arrived at her business, the police were already there. She joined her dad on the front porch of the small house she used as her office. She directed her attention to the young deputy. “Find anything that’ll help you catch the person doing this?”

“Nothing so far,” he replied.

Thank God it wasn’t Frank Grear investigating this one.

She turned to her dad. “Walk with me.”

He nodded, and they strolled through the canoes, rafts, and inner tubes stacked in the outer yard.

“Good thing the vans are locked in the garage at night.” She studied the damage. “The canoes look fine. Out of thirty rafts and over a hundred tubes, he only punctured six rafts and ten tubes. I think he planned to damage more. Wonder why the creep stopped?”

He shrugged. “Not sure. I wish you’d sell this place. Zanbar made everyone a fair offer. You’re the only one holding out.”

“I won’t be intimidated. Besides, Jeremy wanted the business passed down to Scott and Ally. I always hoped to eventually reopen the campground. And without this place, I’d have to get a job. There aren’t a lot of jobs in Faith.” She grinned. “And if I worked, you and Mom would be stuck with the kids all summer and Christmas break.”

“You’ve convinced me.” He removed his cap and rubbed his brow. “I heard Caleb McGregor’s back. I don’t like him living next door to you. You and the kids keep your distance from him. He shouldn’t have come back.”

“Why not? This is his home.”

“Folks aren’t too thrilled about him being released early. He could end up floating face down in the Current River before the month is up.”

I hope not.

“I have more to worry about than Caleb McGregor living next door.” She grabbed several of the damaged tubes. “In a couple of hours, I’ll have fifty people or more wanting to rent tubes or rafts. Help me clear this mess and pull the good ones to the front.”

♦♦♦

Late Saturday when Julie returned from work, she decided there was enough daylight to mow the yard. If she waited, the spring grass would be more difficult to handle. Scott helped pull the push mower, a dinosaur of sorts, from the shed. Then she set the throttle to choke and pulled the cord, but the motor didn’t kick off as she expected. She pulled again and again with the same reluctant sound. Then she noticed the tall shadow looming over her.

“Mind if I check it?” Caleb asked, his voice deep and warm. The sight of his bare chest sent small tremors of sexual awareness through her. The image of resting her head against him flashed in her mind, and she shuddered.

Does this man ever wear a shirt?

The warm April day had mellowed into a cool evening, but still he sauntered around naked from the waist up. She raised her gaze to his face, her cheeks sizzling with heat from the brief fantasy.

She finally found her voice. “No, I wouldn’t mind a little help, but first, let me check one more thing. Maybe it’s just out of gas.”

“I’ll check.” Caleb unscrewed the mower’s cap and peered inside. “That’s not the problem. You’ve got gas.”

Scott burst into laughter, his face scrunched up. “Hear that, Mom. You’ve got gas. Mom cut the cheese.”

Caleb grinned and jerked Scott’s baseball cap over his eyes. “I meant the lawnmower.”

“That’s not what you said.” Scott pushed his cap back on his head.

Julie frowned at her son. “You’re a real comedian, but I didn’t find that amusing.” She smiled. “Speaking of gas, reminds me you’ve got a science poster on natural resources due Monday. Now go work on it.”

“Aw, Mom.”

“You heard me. Go right now and be sure to check on Ally. She’s in her room watching
Cinderella
.”

She waited until Scott was inside before she turned back to Caleb. “He’s a handful sometimes. Sorry if he embarrassed you.”

“He’s a cute kid. And your little girl’s a real doll. She favors you.” He knelt down and studied the mower. “Here’s your problem. Spark plug is corroded.” He stood. “I’ve got a new one in the shed.”

He returned, changed the spark plug, then cranked the motor, making it roar like a racecar. Before she could say anything, he pushed it forward over the tall grass. She tried to tell him she could mow her own yard, but he motioned he couldn’t hear and kept going.

She waited until he mowed the last strip of grass along the riverbank to go inside her kitchen and make him a tall glass of lemonade. It was the least she could do. Once he finished, she strolled over and offered him the glass. “Hope you’re thirsty.”

“I am.” He glanced at her Klondike chairs. “Mind if I sit?”

“No.” She followed him down the length of her backyard to the chairs by the river’s edge. Though uneasy about being with him, she sat beside him. She sensed his need to talk and couldn’t refuse him, despite the chance of someone seeing them together.

Thank goodness very few boats are on the river today.

Being a widow in a small town could fuel a blaze of rumors that wouldn’t stop burning until her name had been smeared, her business ruined, and her strong family ties severed. Though she felt sorry for Caleb, she reminded herself that he’d barely given her the time of day back in high school. Despite her attraction to him, he was still very much a stranger.

She inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of freshly mowed grass, but she could also smell the man next to her. A smell of sweat along with the faint scent of mosquito repellant. But it was his underlying masculine scent that had her insides heating like a curling iron.

Caleb glanced toward the river before looking at her. “I’ve noticed you’re home a lot. You a stay-at-home mom?”

“No, I own Boats and Floats Rentals. Right now, I just work weekends. Once summer comes, I’ll work some weekdays.”

“I thought the Ross family owned it.”

“Actually, Jeremy Ross did. I married him, and now I’m the owner.” She couldn’t believe she was carrying on a casual conversation with Caleb. The man still made her heart do somersaults. Flips. Back-hand-springs.

“Get it in a divorce settlement?” he asked.

“No, a will. Jeremy was killed in a car accident.”

“Aw—damn. I’m real sorry. I liked Jeremy. When?”

“Two years ago.” She swallowed hard, keeping her emotions under control. She’d grieved hard the first year. Now his death just made her angry with God and fate but even more so with herself. If she’d been with him, he wouldn’t have fallen asleep at the wheel.

As the sun faded and the grayness of twilight surrounded them, she relaxed a little and enjoyed having an adult to talk with. Frogs and crickets serenaded them from the river's edge, and fireflies flitted about.

“The business provides us with a good living. I have good employees, so it allows me to stay home with my children a large part of the year.” She started to mention the vandalism at Boats and Floats but didn’t. She wanted to take the focus off of her life. “Think you’ll ever get your bike running?”

He shrugged. “Hope so. I don’t have the money for a car. Not until I get a steady job.”

“Any luck yet?”

“Nope, I figured I’d have to find work in the next county over. You’re actually the first person that’s said more than two words to me. I was starting to think I’d have to go back to prison if I wanted to talk to someone.”

“I doubt anyone in this town will give you a job.”

“I guessed that much. This is home. If I survived prison, I’ll survive this.”

Julie wasn’t so sure. “Threats have been made against you.” She swatted at a gnat. “Serious ones.”

“I’d say Amy Edward and Connie Peel’s parents. Right?”

She nodded. “Mainly, Mr. Peel. He gets drunk and mouths off.”

“The Edwards and the Peels protested at my parole hearing. If I remember correctly, you’re somehow related to Amy.”

“She was my cousin. Her mother is my mom’s younger sister.”

Caleb leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs while clasping the glass in both hands. “The two of you were as different as day and night.”

Amy was beautiful and popular. I was a metal mouthed dork with the figure of a broom handle.

“We weren’t close.” She thought about her last few words. Would he think she was telling him Amy’s death didn’t matter? “But I did care about her. I regret she died so tragically.”

“I know it wasn’t easy on your family. You’ll never know how many times I wished I’d been the one to die instead.”

“Uncle Bob and Aunt Noreen don’t believe you’ve paid enough for what you did. They feel cheated since you didn’t serve your full sentence.”

“I’ve paid. Trust me, there are things worse than death.” He stared at the river in deep concentration before glancing back at her. “I still don’t remember the accident. I guess the head injury I received from being thrown from the boat blocked my memory. But despite what Devin Vincent said, I refuse to believe I ran over Connie and Amy.”

“I never believed you intentionally killed them. Devin testified you were only trying to scare the girls. Being drunk, you misjudged the distance and speed, and the speedboat didn’t turn in time.”

“Drunk or sober I was
never
the type to tease or play risky jokes. Devin was. He could’ve lied. Did anyone ever think of that besides me?”

“People saw you driving his boat.”

“Yes, but at the exact time of the accident no one saw who was controlling it.” He sighed. “I’ve just about given up on proving I wasn’t responsible. Too much time has passed. I woke from the coma and found my life in a helluva mess. It’d been better if I’d never woken up.” He straightened in the chair and sipped the lemonade. “I’m sorry about Amy.”

“I know.” She yawned and stretched slowly as darkness enclosed around them. “That’s why they don’t allow speedboats and any large boats on sections of the Current River anymore.”

“Now that you mentioned it, I’ve only seen fishing boats.”

She rose from her chair. “I’d better get inside and feed my kids.”

He stood and offered her the glass. “Thanks for the lemonade.”

“Thank you for mowing my yard.” As she grasped his empty glass, her fingers brushed his and caused an immediate sensual sensation. “Goodnight.”

Then she walked toward her house with her heart pumping rapidly. She gasped for air. She tried to deny how much this guy still excited her, still brought every nerve ending in her body to life, but she couldn’t.

Caleb McGregor still made her hot.

“You don’t by chance need anyone at Boats and Floats, do you?” he shouted. “I’ll work weekends and holidays without complaining.”

Hearing desperation in his voice, she stopped and faced him. “Not really.” Disappointment crept over his face. She sighed, regretting what she was about to say. “I might once school’s out. Probably June. I can’t promise the job will continue after summer. And the pay’s lousy.”

He nodded and gave her a crooked grin, looking very much like an excited kid. “I’ll take it.”

“I said I might. It’s not a sure thing. I’ll let you know.” Julie couldn’t imagine why she’d made the offer. Hiring Caleb McGregor would be like playing with a stick of lit dynamite. Her jaw tensed at the thought of the upheaval it would cause in her family, putting her mother and aunt at odds with one another. Then her mother’s brother and two other sisters would be forced to take sides. Eventually, all the cousins would become involved.

This could end up a bigger disaster than Mount St. Helens. Definitely as explosive.

Hopefully he’d find another job before June. If not, she’d stay true to her word despite the possible aftershocks.

“Did you ever make it to college?” he asked, once again detaining her. She turned back. He stood with his hands buried deep in his pockets. “I only ask because you were the smartest girl in school. I always assumed you’d go.”

“I went for three years. I was majoring in geology to be a hydrologist.”

“Wow! That’s something. Why didn’t you finish?”

“I returned home my junior year for summer break and fell in love with Jeremy.” She couldn’t help but smile. No doubt, he wondered how a nerd like her ended up with a jock like Jeremy. Again the thought of her husband caused her to feel empty and sad. “I didn’t graduate.”

“I’m not sure my credits will be any good after so long, but I plan to return to college,” Caleb stated. “I managed to take a few online courses while incarcerated.”

She found it admirable he had set goals for himself. Nevertheless, his prison record would always be an open sore that wouldn’t heal. Something people in this small town would never overlook.

♦♦♦

Sunday, Caleb replaced the fuel line and adjusted the carburetor on his motorcycle—a Yamaha 750. He straddled the bike, placed the key in the ignition and hoped it would crank. The bike’s engine purred to life as he revved it up. Though near dusk, he decided to take it for a spin.

Playing in their front yard, Ally and Scott turned and waved. Julie, who sat on the porch, only stared with a concerned expression, keeping her guard up like a doe protecting her fawns. He didn’t want her being afraid of him.

He pulled onto the road and sped off. The spring air rustled through his hair as he darted down the long country road that ran along the Current River. He breathed in the fragrance of wildflowers.