Secret On Cobb Mountain (Cobb Mt Mystery Series Book 1)

by Kit DeCanti

  Ron’s heart leaped for joy! Kat was staying!

  They spent that date drinking up every detail about each other that they could find out. And laughed about how many times they had almost met for real!

  Turns out that it was Kat’s younger sister, Angela he saw on the sea doo with Kat’s roommate, Maria, and in the red Miata that early morning. Angel had spent the night with a girlfriend after working a late shift at the café, and when Kat’s car wouldn’t start, Maria picked Angel up and took her to Library Park.

  “Otherwise it would have been me getting the ticket that morning!” Kat said, looking hurt.

  Ron laughed, “You better believe it!” Secretly, he wondered if he could have given one to her.

  Kat teased, “So, you are the topnotch investigator that Uncle Lenny raves about... solving the secrets and mysteries of Lake County. How is it that you never connected the dots on this one?”

  Ron faked a flinch, and said “Ow!” But he was flattered to hear that Lenny spoke so highly of him.

  Ron pulled his SUV off Highway 29 and headed towards a field where a large hot air balloon was docked. He smiled at the surprise and delight on Kat’s face.

  “Wow! So, you really did have something special planned!” Kat exclaimed, clearly pleased. Ron scaled the ladder then pulled Kat into the balloon where she found the, by now familiar, picnic basket filled with Lake County delicacies waiting. Again Ron noted her pleasure; also that she didn’t seem surprised.

  Their pilot set sail, and Kat was pleased that they would not have to share their flight with anyone else. Arm in arm they floated over the beautiful watery county that had helped Ron romance Kat these past several months.

  The balloon soared high and hovered above the sleeping giant, Mt Konocti, then the pilot brought it down low and circled the harbor, preparing to head back.

  As they floated over the house on Edgewater, Ron’s heart leaped when Kat pointed and said, “I love that house, it’s my favorite in the county! I babysat there a few times. Someday it’s going to be mine.” He squeezed her and whispered in her ear, “Yes, I hope it will be.”

  Their air voyage was over too soon, but Ron had more planned for their date. His SUV was gone and had been replaced with a limousine, when they landed. Beginning with Middletown area they enjoyed a leisurely wine tasting tour around the county, and ended up on the top of the vista area overlooking Lakeport, the lake and Konocti.

  A picnic table under the trees was set with a white tablecloth, candles and dinner for two. The Limo driver parked his car nearby with music playing while the couple dined on lobster and drank sparkling Lake County wine.

  After dinner, the couple strolled to the open parking lot to enjoy the twilight. Ron took Kat in his arms and they danced as the full moon rose up behind Mt. Konocti causing it to look as if it were ready to explode. Just like Ron’s heart! Soon the moonbeams spread out over the huge lake like a bridge as if the Man in the Moon were inviting them to dance their way to him. Only when the moon was high overhead, did the couple reluctantly get back into the limo and allow this last ‘first date’ to come to an end.

  Kat started to give directions to her Mom’s house, but Ron laughed and said, “I have been meeting your uncle behind your house for months!” As Ron walked her to the door, she dropped her eyes, and said through her lashes, “My mother is really starting to worry about me. She can’t believe that with all these blind dates I’ve had all spring and summer, no one ever asks me out for a second date…”

  “Well maybe I can help you out again… Let’s see…. How ‘bout if I ask you to meet me for a picnic tomorrow, for a second date?”

  Ron was still holding her hand, reluctant to let it go. Kat smiled playfully, “Sure! This time, I’ll bring the basket.” She had carried it out of the limo. “Where do you propose we meet?”

  Monday, July 30th, 2007

  Ron’s SUV climbed the winding road up to the top of Kono Tayee. He found Kat waiting for him on a large quilt that she had spread out under the arms of the live oak tree. The same tree that Ron had been standing under when he spotted the little red Miata speeding below on Highway 20 a lifetime ago.

  Kat was dressed to fit the occasion, in an old fashioned purple Victorian dress, her hair piled high and formed into a Gibson style. Sitting primly, she posed reading a book; pretending not to notice his arrival. Next to her was the large red picnic basket. It had seen a lot of picnics since the first one amidst the cherry blossoms! A bottle of their favorite wine and a loaf of Antoinette’s

  French bread were sticking out from under one of the lift-top doors.

  “This spot taken?” Ron said taking a place as close to her as he could without being too presumptuous.

  “I was saving it for a Buddy,” Kat smiled sweetly. And then laughed noticing his eagerness to be close to her. She moved ever so casually a few inches away, and breaking a piece of the partially sliced bread she added a slice of cheese and offered it to him. He reached for it, and caught her hand along with the bread and held it until she pulled it away.

  Ron let out a sigh and lay back on the blanket, looking at the sky. He pointed at a cloud that looked like a bird in flight. “A Kat must have scared it!” he chuckled. Kat lay back too, breathing in the clean summer air.

  The day seemed to be custom designed especially for their picnic. The sky above was as blue as Kat’s eyes. Big puffy

  clouds floated by, stopping occasionally to gather into groups creating formations, while Ron and Kat made up stories about what they saw.

  Soon Kat rolled over on her stomach and the large hair pin that was holding her hair up fell out, so that her long hair fell over her shoulders.

  The lake seemed frozen in time while reflected clouds raced high across it. Kat and Ron indulged in a fantasy cloud race for a few moments; picking clouds that they thought would reach the far end of the lake first. But they soon lost interest in the clouds as they got lost in each other’s eyes for what could have been moments or perhaps hours- time seemed frozen for them as well. Pulling her eyes away, and looking out over the lake Kat softly said, “Those clouds are whispering from hill top to hill top.”

  “They think they know a secret about a man falling in love,” Ron said, moving

  closer. He took Kat’s chin with his finger and gently turned her face to his. Gazing into the depth of her blue eyes, he fought off the passion he was feeling. He slowly pulled her face towards his, feeling the mountain top spin as his lips pressed hers. He pulled back looking again into her eyes, and his heart danced as he saw the love he felt reflected back in those blue eyes. “What else do the clouds think they know?” Kat whispered.

  “They think they know that the man they’re spying on is going to ask his beloved to be his wife.” Tears sprang up in the blue eyes.

  Kat was barely able to whisper, “Do they know what she will answer?”

  “They think they do- but are gathering closer to hear,” Ron said anxiously.

  Kat sat up and handed Ron the corkscrew, and busied herself arranging bread, cheese, grapes and apple slices on a plate for them to share.

  Ron’s hands were shaking as he cracked open the bottle of Lake County Sparkling wine and filled the wineglasses that Kat handed him. They were the ones with their nicknames ‘Kat’ and ‘Buddy’ engraved on them, from their first picnic.

  And then a joyous smile spread across Ron’s face when he noticed that the glasses now had ‘July 30th 2007’ engraved below each of the names. Today’s date.

  So she knew all along, that this would be the day he proposed!

  Ron pulled the engagement ring out of his pocket and slipped the ring on Kat’s slender finger. He’d had it custom made for Kat by Kerry Magoon of Magoon’s Jewelers in Lakeport. The one karat diamond was surrounded by sapphires. Kat beamed when she recognized the Lake County Diamond that they had found together last spring. But she didn’t look surprised- even though Ron had gone to extreme to pretend that he lost it. He had dropped the diamon
d and pretended to loose it - planning for this day.

  The happy couple sipped wine, ate grapes, cheese and bread and continued telling each other the stories that the clouds were telling.

  Kat pointed to the clouds gathering around the base of Konocti. She snuggled close to Ron and whispered, “The clouds are like children gathering around to hear the story of how their grandparents met and fell in love under the watchful eye of Mt. Konocti.”

  Unable to contain himself any longer Ron rose up to his knees and pulled Kat to him, spilling the wine and cheese in the process. They didn’t care as their lips met and their bodies embraced.

  The end