Hometown Series Box Set

by Kirsten Fullmer

  The two met at the front of his truck, each looking resolved.

  Katherine spread the roll of prints across the hood and Alex reached out to hold one side. A glance in her direction told him she’d taken a moment to clean herself up. She wore a dry shirt and her face, as well as her hand holding the other side of the blueprint, was clean.

  She stared at his hand on the drawing, unable to ignore his fingers on the paper, then cleared her throat. “This is the location of the power pole,” she pointed with one finger.

  He leaned closer, taking in the electrical notes, then looked up, squinting in the sun to locate the pole across the field.

  “There will be fifteen parking spots for the camp trailers, most of them in a circular formation here,” she continued.

  “Latrines?” he asked, pointing to the drawing.

  Caught off guard by the military term, she leaned in for a better look. “Oh, yes, and a shower house, but that won’t go in until next summer.”

  He continued to peruse the drawing, and she waited.

  His brow crinkled in question, and she waited for him to speak. But he remained silent, only meeting her gaze with a question in his.

  “What?” she asked, plopping her hand on her hip.

  The drawing rolled up next to Alex’s hand. “Nothing.”

  She gave him an I don’t believe you look. “Just say it,” she ground out through clenched teeth.

  “Fine,” he huffed, spreading the prints open with his other hand. “I’ve never seen the trailers in an RV park set up in a circle before, that’s all.”

  “This isn’t just any RV park,” she replied.

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s a glamping park.”

  Both of his eyebrows rose, and he released the plans, allowing them to roll tight once again. “A what?”

  She sighed and motioned with one hand toward her trailer. “You know, for vintage RVs. It’s a destination, for people to come stay in the trailers, not to bring their own.” She waited for her words to sink in, then continued, rolling out the prints once again as she pointed to a location on the paper. “I do have a few spots here along the back, under the trees, for visitors who bring a trailer.”

  “Glamping?”

  “Yes, glamping. Glamorous Camping.”

  His expression was doubtful.

  “Look,” she grumbled, running out of patience. “It’s a thing, and I’m building it. Are you in or not?”

  He shrugged. “Roger that. Makes no difference to me.”

  “Nothing ever did,” she snapped, then turned and strode back to her trailer. When her hand reached for the door handle, she paused. “I’ve got stuff to do,” she tossed over her shoulder. “You can keep that set of prints.” Then she tromped up the steps and slammed the door behind her with a resounding bang.

  * * *

  With Katie’s words ringing in his ears, Alex circled his truck and lowered the tailgate to pull out survey gear. How was it that after so much time the woman still made him crazy?

  He hefted the tripod onto one shoulder, then stomped across the field. According to the drawings, the lines for each trailer spot would be laid out based on the location of the power pole, so he headed that direction. Once the tripod was in place, with its legs extended and set on the ground, he headed back to the truck for the survey transit. This wasn’t an easy layout, considering the math he’d have to do to create the circular formation for the ring circuit, but he’d certainly dealt with more complicated layouts. Maybe a little math would be good for him. It would take his mind off the angry woman in the trailer.

  As he marched unevenly back toward his truck, he wondered why he hadn’t thought to drive the truck across the field in the first place, then he wouldn’t have to carry his gear so far. She’d addled him, and that fact stung. Then again, maybe it was too muddy to leave the new gravel road. Yeah, that’s why it hadn’t occurred to him. She didn’t have him rattled. He couldn’t care less who he did the job for, right? He didn’t know a thing about her, after all, and she was obviously not thrilled to have him there. Not that he could blame her.

  He hauled the transit case from the truck. Was she married now? She didn’t wear a ring. Did she have kids? She was downright skinny and didn’t look like she’d ever been pregnant, but he knew that looks mean nothing when it came to being a parent. He’d seen no indication of children, but again, that didn’t mean anything either.

  Back at the pole, he opened the case and took out the transit, then attached it to the top of the tripod and adjusted the knobs. The trailer door opened, interrupting his thoughts, but he ignored Katie as she headed around the back of her trailer, tugging on a pair of work gloves. What was she up to?

  Shrugging her off, he leaned in to look through the eyepiece on the transit. She wasn’t his problem; he had to stay focused. A clanking noise from behind the trailer caused him to clench his teeth, but when an engine started up, he couldn’t stand it, and he had to straighten and stretch his neck in an attempt to see what she was doing.

  * * *

  A pull of the trigger revved the engine of the gas-powered chainsaw, causing a ripple of alarm to pass through Katherine’s body.

  “This is exactly what I need, vicious, raw power,” she yelled over the roar of the saw.

  She’d bought the heavy saw at a yard sale she’d passed back in Phoenix, thinking she’d need it once the park was set up. But now that the beast was vibrating in her grasp, she wasn’t so sure she could handle it.

  The trees along the edge of the park by the river needed a trim. It was one of the things on her to-do list, and it seemed smart to get it done before the electrical lines went in. Her timing had nothing to do with wanting to castrate the electrician.

  Satisfied that the saw would start, she turned it off and headed around the end of the trailer with it.

  The first thing that caught her eye was Alex, standing next to a survey transit by the power pole. A lock of hair fell across his forehead, just like it had when he was young. Determined to ignore him, she kept walking, but it was hard not to notice his interest as she passed with the saw.

  She felt victorious. A roaring cutting tool was the perfect thing to brandish when one was broken hearted.

  He managed to stay silent until she was near to the tree line. “What are you going to do with that?” he called.

  She paused, unsure if she even wanted to talk to him, but finally she turned and raised the saw using both hands. “What, this? I thought I’d make some paper dolls!”

  His lips curled back, and his head bobbed in an irritated, mock laugh.

  She turned back toward the trees. “What would I possibly be doing, heading towards trees with a chainsaw?” she muttered.

  When she reached the overgrown shrubs and underbrush at the edge of the clearing, her confidence sagged. The jumble of trunks and bushes separating her from the river looked like an impossible mess, and she had no idea where to start. Determined to get on with it, she laid the saw carefully in the grass and weeds and reached up to lower safety goggles over her eyes. Once they were in place, she hefted the saw back up and took a deep breath.

  She could feel Alex’s stare boring into her back, and she belatedly wished she’d waited until she didn’t have an audience to try out the saw, but it was too late now. One sharp yank on the pull handle and the saw sputtered to life. Holding it in front of her with both hands, it bucked and reared.

  Her arms shook and her teeth rattled in their sockets but determined to get the job done, she approached the closest bush. One large branch looked like as good of a place to begin as any, so she clenched her teeth, hunched her shoulders, squinted, and put the spinning blade to the branch.

  She expected the saw to roar louder, like in the video she’d watched, or even maybe to jump as it engaged with the branch. But to her disappointment, the second the blade touched the branch, it died.

  She tossed a glance over her shoulder to see Alex watching, so she lower
ed the saw, braced herself, and gave the handle a good yank. More confident this time, she raised the saw, gritted her teeth, and tried again, but the same thing happened. As soon as the blade made contact, the saw died.

  Three more tries resulted in the same failure, as well as a significant rise in her blood pressure. Red from exertion, she gave up and yanked her goggles down to hang around her neck, then stomped back toward her trailer, lugging the heavy saw along with her.

  As she passed Alex, he stepped from behind the tripod. “New saw?” he asked.

  She stopped but was in no mood to talk. The trees did need to be trimmed though. “No, I got it at a yard sale.”

  Watching her warily for signals as to her mood, he approached. She didn’t resist, so he reached for the saw. “May I?”

  Sullen, she handed it over.

  He took the saw and then motioned with his head toward his truck. The two of them tromped across the field, no words passing between them. When they reached Alex’s truck, he laid the saw on the tailgate and turned to her. “I take it you put gas in it?”

  She nodded, insulted. It was a valid question, but he must think she was a complete idiot to even ask.

  Unlatching the cover on the top of the saw, he pointed to the air filter with one undeniably attractive finger. “See this? It’s the air filter, and it’s all gummy and clogged.” He leaned back, taking in the saw, then her. He grinned. “Needs a good, old-fashioned scrubbing.”

  She blushed and yanked off her gloves, wondering if he was referring to her or the tool.

  Dust and debris fell away as he removed the filter, making it obvious that she did indeed need a new one.

  With his hand still on top of the saw, he watched her expression, taking in every nuance of her movements as she stared at his hand. “It probably needs a tune up too, the carburetor may have residue in it, or…” his words slowed, “old fuel...”

  She looked up, their eyes meeting, with only inches between them.

  Unable to help himself, Alex had to ask. “So, you moved here, to build this park?”

  Held in his spell just like old times, Katherine couldn’t move. She nodded, unsure if her voice would cooperate. Long-forgotten emotions flowed through her.

  “You’re doing this alone?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.

  To her, his words sounded like an insult more than a question, and she bristled. “Yes, why shouldn’t I?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Neither spoke, the only sound the treetops rustling in the breeze, the river burbling over the rocks, and a bird chirping happily in the woods.

  He swallowed, and she watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down. He felt so much the same, yet so different. She could see the boy she’d known so well, buried somewhere in the serious man frowning down at her.

  She knew Alex saw the frisson of sensation race down her back. She hadn’t seen a shift in his posture or even his manner, but she’d felt it somehow, and she knew he knew. There was still a bond between them, a connection, and she didn’t like it.

  Alarm bells rang in her mind. What she was experiencing was not from the past, but very much relevant and in the present. The man still drew her in like a fishing pole bent double.

  As her gaze rose from his throat to his beard, then his eyes, her heart rate increased. How does he still have this effect on me?

  “You look good, Katie.”

  She frowned.

  “Katherine,” he amended, with a weak grin.

  “We both know I look a sight. I don’t have running water yet.”

  “I don’t mean that.”

  Her eyes came back to his, questioning his words.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, knowing full well that an apology was way overdue and far too little to make amends. “I mean it. I’ve wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for a long time.”

  She took a staggering step backward, still trapped in the embrace of his stare.

  “I don’t know why you decided to come here, the property I guess,” he continued. “But I really am sorry I hurt you back then.” He gestured toward her trailer. “And I’m glad you’re back.”

  His little speech, the very words she’d longed to hear so long ago, burned into her mind and soul. Her vision fogged, and her knees went weak. She couldn’t form words, couldn’t think, couldn’t run, couldn’t stay.

  Giving himself a visible shake, Alex turned back to the saw, reattaching the top of the machine. “I better get back to work.”

  She bobbed her head and swallowed hard, still unable to speak. One hand came out to steady herself on the tailgate.

  He turned away, then stopped two steps out and turned back. “If you leave the saw there, I’ll take it home and see if dad can look at it. He’s good with motors.”

  The last thing on her mind was the damn saw. She glanced toward it, then back to him. She had no other options to fix the stupid thing, so she nodded. “He wouldn’t mind?” She found it beyond ridiculous that after all that had passed between them and the emotional turmoil of the morning, all they could manage to talk about was a silly saw.

  He offered her a wry grin. “Nah, he always liked you.” Then he headed back toward his survey equipment.

  Katherine leaned against his tailgate, her heart pounding. Alex had been on her property for less than 30 minutes, and already she was in trouble.

  Chapter Six

  The To Do list written in Katherine’s planner blurred, and her eyes rose once again to watch Alex through the window. There were a million things that needed doing, such as lining up groups to come and camp, emails to answer, and a website to set up, but she couldn’t concentrate.

  She leaned on one elbow over her planner, her pencil tapping rhythmically on the counter. “The only electrical company around,” she muttered under her breath.

  Fate was fickle. Of all the plans she’d considered for Hershel’s land, she’d managed to choose one that had to include Alex. Then again, just about anything she’d wanted to build would have required an electrician. Had Hershel known this would happen? She shook her head. He may have known Alex did electrical work, but he couldn’t have known she’d accept the property.

  Her pencil tapped harder on the Formica, drumming into her thoughts. It just wasn’t healthy spending so much time around an ex. The whole situation was the equivalent of returning to the fridge for a second or third time, looking for something to eat. You knew there was nothing there, but some part of you hoped that this time it would be different.

  “Not gonna happen,” she huffed, straightening. The man was off limits, no matter how he made her feel. She was way past all of this romantic nonsense, anyway, and she had been for years. The last thing she needed right now was a distraction. She had to stay on track and get her park built. She was no wide-eyed, innocent teenager; she’d been hardened by the ways of the world. She knew better than to allow herself to get close enough to feel such pish-posh. She and her mother were cut from the same cloth; they were singular people, women who didn’t need a man.

  So why was one man derailing her whole thought process?

  She scowled down at her planner and retrieved her pencil. Her mother must have needed a man at some point, or she wouldn’t be here. She couldn’t imagine her well-ordered, disciplined mother falling in love. She’d been so independent, so adamant that the two of them needed only each other.

  What happened to her mother all those years ago in this place? And what happened to her father?

  She sighed and tucked a wisp of wayward hair behind her ear. No sense asking questions with no answers; she knew because she’d been wondering the same thing her whole life. Maybe if she actually went to town and got to know people, she could find out more about her dad. Maybe she’d run into some man in his 50s with dark skin and straight hair, and he’d recognize her.

  Horror shivered down her spine. What on earth would she say to the man if he approached her? She looked down at her planner, and her pencil started tapping
again. She was probably much better off keeping to herself. What was it they said, be careful what you wish for?

  Then there was Alex. Maybe having Alex around bothered her so much because he’d been her first love. Didn’t most women harbor tender feelings for their first lover? Even happily married women supposedly had a sweet memory or two tucked away that they lamented about from time to time when they were unhappy, right? Had her mother hidden tender memories of her father?

  She snorted and flipped through the pages of the planner without looking at them. She certainly didn’t have any relationships to compare, so how would she know what normal women did? Men found her stuffy and plain, and she was fine with that. As a matter of fact, she wanted it that way. It kept things simple.

  When she’d first left Smithville, the end of that summer, she’d buried her sorrows in her schooling. She’d coped with her broken heart by focusing completely on her college courses and her job, not on boys or parties, or silly things the other girls seemed to care so much about. She didn’t spend money on makeup or fancy clothes—there hadn’t been money to spend. Every penny counted.

  After a while, she’d quit even trying to pretend she was normal around the other girls. As far as boys went, most of them hadn’t compared to Alex anyway, and then it felt normal to ignore a smile or to snub friendly banter. Before she knew it, she’d effectively closed herself off.

  And then she’d had to drop out because of her mother’s illness. Working at the library hadn’t exactly offered her social opportunities either, but it had paid the bills and kept a roof over their head.

  Her frown deepened as her thoughts drifted back. It had taken all of her strength to care for her mom as cancer had taken her, bit by bit. The horrible memories of that time still caused her to reel, feeling as if she were standing on the edge of a precipice.

  As her mother’s life had faded, she’d felt more alone than ever, and in her pain, she’d cursed Alex anew for leaving her. First, her father had deserted them, and then Alex. Men simply weren’t worth the effort.