When Nona opened her mouth to question him further, he hastily added, “Is there any more of this good coffee, Mabel?” Why was he being so evasive? Didn’t they have a right to know what he had planned for them? But before she could demand an answer to her questions, he casually added, “By the way, you signed a contract to stay through the summer. I certainly hope you plan to fulfill it. You do plan on staying, don’t you?”
“You want me to fulfill my contract?” Nona gripped the edge of the table and stared at Simon as he lifted another forkful of hotcakes to his mouth.
“She doesn’t need a hearing aid, does she, Mabel?”
“Oh, land sakes!” Mabel’s worried eyes went from one to the other. “Cut this out, both of you!”
“I heard what you said. I’m just not sure what to do about it.” Nona sank down in her chair. “The place doesn’t need two managers! Why do you want us here?”
“I’ve got plans for this place, plans that go way beyond what we have now. I’ve been talking to Mabel about remodeling the cabins. She’s agreed to cook meals for our guests. I’m sure I can think of lots of useful things for you to do, too. You don’t sing or dance by any chance, do you?”
Nona stared at him in stunned silence.
“Stop teasing her, Simon.” Mabel’s voice had an edge to it, nearly defensive. “She’s in no mood for it. She’s worked like a son of a gun since the day we came here.”
“I know that. But I also need to know if she can carry on a serious conversation without flying off the handle.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Maggie entered the kitchen wearing cutoff shorts that Nona thought to be at least three inches too short. Sam Houston greeted her with a whine, his tail wagging so hard it almost lifted his hind legs from the floor. Maggie nonchalantly swung her leg over the dog in order to hold him between her knees, and began to scratch his head.
“Maggie! I thought you had thrown away those old shorts,” Nona admonished.
“I’m not showing anything.” Maggie frowned.
“Hi, punkin’. Ready for breakfast?” Mabel was always ready to defuse an argument between her two favorite people.
“I guess so. What were you yelling about, Nona?”
“I wasn’t yelling and don’t scratch that dog in the house. Hair flies all over.”
“Does he catch a Frisbee?” Simon asked casually as he looked down at the dog. Sam Houston looked back up at him with an expression that Nona could imagine was a smile. Maybe it was because they were the only two males in the room.
“He might need a little bit of practice, but I bet he could.”
“We won’t be here long enough for that,” Nona argued.
“You might be. Mabel likes the idea.”
Nona’s swirling mind was filled with equal parts confusion and apprehension. It was amazing how quickly both Mabel and Maggie had been won over by Simon’s suggestion that they stay on. Was she the only one that thought his ideas impractical? Things were moving too fast to suit her.
“You’ll teach him to catch a Frisbee?” Maggie asked.
“Why not? He’s smart enough.”
“Then you’re not going to give us the ax?”
“Whatever gave you that idea? If I can get this thing on its feet, I’ll even raise your sister’s pay. What do you think about taking numbers five and six and turning them into a dining hall? We could put in a few pinball machines, a pool table, a TV, and a jukebox.”
“Jukebox?” Maggie blurted.
“A jukebox,” Simon repeated.
“Awesome!” Maggie’s face broke into a beautiful smile. “Can I play it without having to put in money?”
“Sure you can, squirt.”
“You’d better not include us in your plans,” Nona warned the big man, who swung around to face her. For the briefest of moments she was struck by how attractive he was.
“So you finally came to life. You’re just not listening to what I’m telling you. Each of the cabins has two bedrooms. We’ll rent them to couples and add bunks to the large rooms to make them into dormitories. Our guests will be mostly hunters and fishermen. They’ll expect to rough it. All they’ll want is a decent place to sleep and good food.”
Nona looked into Simon’s green eyes as they remained steadily locked onto her own. I’ve seen him before! I know I have! It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if they had ever met before, but instead she just continued staring as Simon tilted back in the kitchen chair.
Finally she said, “I think you should have asked us what we thought of your plans before you assumed we’d be a part of them. Maggie starts high school in the fall. She can’t do that from here. As a matter of fact, I’ll need to start looking for a regular job in town right away.”
Quickly, Simon stood. His face changed to what Nona thought was a scowl. When he spoke, his voice was firm. “You might as well make the best of it, Nona. This can be a pleasant arrangement or it can be a battle every step of the way.”
“What are you saying?” Nona asked.
“I’m telling you that you’re staying here where I can keep an eye on you. Is that understood?” As shock settled over Nona, Simon walked to the door and opened it. “Thanks for the breakfast, Mabel,” he said and shut the door behind him.
“He’s crazy!” Nona exclaimed. “Did you hear what he said to me?”
“What a hunk,” Maggie said dreamily.
Nona could only sit and fume.
Chapter 4
AFTER A RESTLESS MORNING spent mulling over the strange statement that Simon Wright had made about her not leaving the camp, Nona had come to the conclusion that he was trying to make sure she didn’t leave without fulfilling her contract. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why he needed her and Mabel. Now that he was here, the place would practically run itself. He could hire a cook anywhere and he had Mr. Story to take care of the guests. Besides, a cook and a cleaning woman would be cheaper.
Trying to put the problem out of her mind, she decided she would speak to Simon later about getting out of the contract and then begin the task of finding a school for Maggie. Why did this all have to be so complicated? When she’d signed the contract for this stopgap job, she hadn’t thought ahead to the need to leave in the first part of August in order to get settled before the start of the school term. What if he didn’t let her out of their agreement? If she remembered correctly, the contract lasted until the end of the fishing season. She had assumed that that would be the end of August, but what if she was wrong? How long would they be stuck here?
During the next few days, the warm weather brought several carloads of fishermen. They kept Mr. Story fairly busy. Nona did not know where the old man had come from, or much else about him for that matter. He arrived shortly after they had. He didn’t talk much about himself. From the little that Nona had gathered, he traveled to the Ozarks in the summer and then to the Rio Grande Valley in the winter. His passion was fishing.
Physically, he wasn’t much to look at. A short man with long arms and a head of thinning gray hair, with stubble on his face that suggested he was not fond of shaving. Whenever he stopped by the house, Nona was reminded that he wasn’t fond of bathing either. While not talkative about his own life, he was friendly and patient, especially with Maggie, who asked a thousand questions.
Nona stood on the porch, the warmth of the early afternoon sun shining down on her, and watched as a large truck, its back end loaded with furniture from the two cabins that were being remodeled, left for the Salvation Army store in Little Rock.
She had to admit that Simon had been a whirlwind once he started moving, and he was certainly moving full speed ahead with his plans to renovate the camp. His enthusiasm had rubbed off on Mabel and Maggie, and now they were wholeheartedly behind the project, each of them pitching in with ideas and suggestions. He was endearing himself to them more all the time with his smiles, compliments, and promises. He’d become the light of their lives. Nona was afraid that she would
never be able to get them away from the camp.
Several days had passed since the “disastrous encounter,” as Nona liked to refer to her confrontation with Simon. Since then, he had acted as if nothing had happened, coming to the cabin regularly for breakfast and dinner, all the while smiling and joking with Mabel and Maggie. He eats like a starved alley cat, Nona thought as she picked up a bucket of cleaning supplies and walked briskly down the drive to the cabin she was cleaning.
She hadn’t forgotten the stern look on Simon’s face when he told her she wasn’t to leave the camp without his permission. It had upset her, although Mabel had pooh-poohed the idea that he’d meant it. She’d insisted that he was only teasing, but Nona wasn’t so sure. She was beginning to feel like a prisoner. Was he trying to control her or was it genuine concern? As much as these questions gnawed at her, the one that she couldn’t stop asking was Who is he? He certainly didn’t give out much information about himself. The thought still clung to her mind that she had seen him before.
While she cleaned, her brain worked furiously. She really should call Little Rock again and talk to the man who had hired her. Simon had told her he’d bought the property, but what did that amount to? Just because he was handsome, friendly, fun, and her sister and Mabel adored him didn’t mean that he was on the up-and-up. She owed it to herself and to them to find out for sure. She also wanted to call Harold, her half-brother, at the bank. He would be at the office at this time of day. She needed to tell him to send her and Maggie’s share of the money he had received from selling a piece of their father’s property, as executor of his will. He had held onto the parcel of land for five years. She suspected that he had borrowed money against it and that that had been the reason the property had not been sold before. Now she was determined to force him to honor their father’s wishes and give them what was rightfully theirs. When they left the camp, they’d need the money.
After lunch, Maggie went down to the lake while Mabel went berry picking. The woods behind the camp held a variety of berries: wild raspberries, strawberries, and chokecherries. Mabel loved to forage among the bushes. With the others occupied, Nona decided it was a perfect time to slip into town and make a long-distance call. She put on a clean dress, ran a comb through her hair, and picked up her purse. At the door, she looked around the compound. Simon was not in sight. Not that it mattered if he was, she told herself firmly, and slid under the steering wheel of her Ford.
She turned the key in the ignition, but instead of hearing the motor come to life, she heard “rrrrrr.” She tried it again but the engine wouldn’t catch. What the devil is wrong? She kept at it, her foot pumping the accelerator, until the strong smell of gasoline reached her.
“Dammit!”
In her desperate attempt to get the car started, she had flooded the engine. She’d have to wait awhile before she could try it again. Exasperated, she leaned resignedly against the door. Suddenly, and without warning, the door was flung open, forcing her to grab the wheel to keep from falling out.
“Going someplace?” Simon asked. From where she’d slid, he was looking down at her with a full smile, the sun shining on his hair. He didn’t offer a hand to help her as she pulled herself back into the seat.
“Yes, as if it’s any business of yours,” she said. She wanted to be angry with him, to tell him that he was rude, but when she looked at him, she feared that an unwelcome blush had crept into her cheeks.
“You flooded it,” he observed.
“I know that!”
“Trying to sneak off, huh?”
“I have things to do. Am I a prisoner here?”
“I told you the other night that I didn’t want you to leave here unless I was with you.”
“You didn’t say that. You said not to leave without your permission.”
“Same thing.”
With a groan, Nona pulled the car door shut and turned the key in the ignition, silently praying to herself that the engine was no longer flooded. In answer, she received the same “rrrrrr.” Taking a deep breath, she tried it again. This time there was only a click. Why is this happening? Turning her head to glare at Simon, she found him standing beside the car with his hands inside his pockets, calmly waiting.
“Still flooded.” He grinned.
“I suppose this just tickles you to death.”
Pulling the car door open, he waited for Nona to exit. “You’re not going anywhere in that car. All that grinding has run down the battery.”
Nona forced herself to count to ten before speaking as calmly as she could. “Where’s the nearest mechanic?”
“Home. Planning on going there?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” She was in a contrary mood. No matter what, she would not let this arrogant man tell her what to do. The damn car always starts. What’s happened to it?
Nona got out of the car, lifted the hood, and peered at the motor. Maggie knew more about engines than she did, but she’d not admit it to this know-it-all. “Did you do something to my car?”
“Do you want a ride to town?” he asked, failing to answer her question.
Nona closed the hood with a bang. She swallowed hard, lifted her chin, and boldly met his gaze. “Yes, I would like a ride to town. I have some business and I want to make an important call from a phone booth,” she added and watched his eyes narrow dangerously.
“Who do you need to call?”
“None of your business.”
Simon had opened his mouth to protest but something behind her caught his attention. Nona turned to see Maggie running as usual.
“Where ya goin’?” she shouted before she reached the car.
“I’m taking your sister to make a phone call,” Simon said matter-of-factly.
“Who are you calling?” Maggie asked as she came to a halt in front of them, her breath coming in fits from the exertion. “I hope it isn’t that pukey Lester Graves. He makes me want to barf.”
“Maggie! Watch your mouth.”
“Well, he does. You’re not going to get back together with him, are you?”
“I don’t plan to and we don’t discuss personal matters in front of strangers.” Nona knew that if her cheeks hadn’t been flushed crimson before, they most assuredly were now.
“Simon’s not a stranger,” Maggie argued.
“Who’s Lester?” Simon asked.
“He was trying to date Nona but I never liked him. He was gross, with fish eyes that just sort of watched you funny,” Maggie answered without once looking at her sister. “Can I ride along?”
“Not this time, squirt. I need to talk to Nona.”
“Are you going on a date?” Maggie asked, her eyes suddenly very sharp. “Cool.”
“Absolutely not!” Nona yelled.
“Why are you yelling? Are you mad?”
“Yes, I’m mad at this damn car.”
“And me,” Simon said as he reached into the Ford, took Nona’s keys from the ignition, and twirled them around on his finger. With his bright smile, he looked to Nona like the cat that had caught the canary.
“What’d you do?” Maggie asked.
“I caught her trying to sneak off.”
Nona held her hand out for the car keys, but Simon flashed yet another smile and put them in his pocket.
“Come on if you want to go to town.” Taking Nona by the arm, he propelled her toward his truck, giving Maggie’s shoulder a pat as he passed her. “Take care of things while we’re gone, squirt. Is there anything you want from town?”
“I want a Seventeen magazine.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He opened the door of his truck and waited for Nona to get in. She hesitated.
“I don’t know you and I’m not sure I want to go off with you. I’ve never seen any proof that you’re who you say you are.”
“Way I see it, I’m the one taking the big chance. Who’s to say that you aren’t planning on getting me into the woods so you can have your way with me?” He laughed when he saw the anger in her eye
s.
“I’d rather scratch your eyes out,” Nona answered defiantly, her hands on her hips. Finally, she reluctantly stepped up into the truck, turned, and settled onto the seat.
“Don’t worry. I like willing women.” Simon slammed the door, walked around to the other side, and slid under the wheel. He started the truck and backed out. Maggie was still standing in the yard as they drove past. She waved and Simon tooted the horn. As they turned onto the main road, he took off his Stetson and placed it on the seat between them. His light brown hair flew back from his face. Nona watched his hands easily control the truck on the dirt road. Every once in a while, he glanced at her.
They had driven a mile down the road before Nona finally spoke accusingly. “You did something to my car so I couldn’t go to town, didn’t you?”
“Now, why would you think something like that? I’m a nice fellow.”
“I don’t know that. I don’t know you at all,” Nona said as she turned toward him. “I know that I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
“A good-lookin’ guy like me gets noticed.” He smiled with a glint in his eye.
“I think it was when I visited the jail.”
“I bet you’re right,” Simon said smoothly, the twitch in his lips irritating her. “I was locked up for kidnapping and rape.”
“I can’t believe the things that you joke about.”
“I wasn’t joking when I said I owned the camp.”
“No, but you might have lied.”
“Dammit!” he suddenly barked. “What do I have to say to prove myself to you? Are you always this damn distrustful?”
The sudden harshness of his words surprised Nona. Turning away from him, she glanced out the window at the tall pines that lined the road. She looked behind and saw nothing but an empty road. Silence enveloped them from all sides. Suddenly, she was reminded of the man that she had met at the store and who had then followed her back toward the camp. He had frightened her. For a moment, she wondered if she should tell Simon about what had happened, but she decided that he would just laugh and say it was her imagination. She wasn’t going to give him any more of a reason to ridicule her.
On Tall Pine Lake Page 4