Courting Katarina

by Carol Steward

  “He didn’t want to make the drive again so soon.” Before she could stop, the bitter words slipped out.

  Alex looked up the hill, his profile strong and rigid. “What is wrong with the man?” he muttered.

  Katarina cocked her ear toward him. “Did you say something?”

  Alex tugged her closer and whispered into her ear. “Yeah, that man is a total fool.”

  She lifted her chin and looked into his blue eyes, surprised to find his intense gaze fixed on hers. Who’s the fool here, God? What is stopping me from ending this farce of a relationship with Ron? Why can’t I let myself follow my heart?

  Alex’s lips brushed her forehead. He gently turned her, pulling her into the circle of his arms as he did so.

  “C’mon, Uncle Alex and Auntie Kat! We’ll race ya.” Adam and Ricky’s horse stepped out from around the barn just before Alex’s lips could brush hers. Katarina jumped, surprised that Alex’s hand was locked against her spine, holding her close.

  Alex exhaled.

  Adam guided the horse past Alex and Katarina. “Busted,” Adam needled the couple, and laughed. “Think you can handle Gertrude and Star, Alex?”

  “Not a problem.” He let Katarina loose and led the way into the barn. Alex saddled the two mares and offered Katarina a hand up.

  They trotted through the pasture, waiting impatiently for Gertrude to realize it wasn’t time to graze. Adam stepped his horse up next to Katarina and showed her how to keep Gertrude’s attention off the grass.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Why don’t you two give them a run?” Adam said to his brothers.

  “You all right, Katarina?” The warmth of Alex’s smile echoed in his voice.

  She couldn’t deny the confidence he’d just handed her. “I’m fine—you go ahead.”

  Katarina watched Alex and Star race Kevin and his mount, Cody, across the pasture then disappear into the trees. She felt the awareness spread through her body just watching Alex ride. He looked like a natural, not someone who hadn’t ridden in ten years.

  Suddenly Gertrude, feeling left out, took off at a gallop up the hill after them. “Whoa!”

  Gertrude ignored her and ran right under a ponderosa.

  Katarina lowered her voice, pulled the reins and lay back trying to duck under the prickly branch. “Whoa!” She came to a sudden stop.

  Adam rode up beside her. “Are you all right?”

  Katarina took a deep breath as she pulled herself upright. “I think so. I don’t think sweet old Gertrude likes me much.”

  “That was neat, Katarina. Can you do it again?” Ricky’s eyes were opened wide, as if he thought she’d done it on purpose.

  Adam chuckled. “You did great, Katarina. I can’t imagine what Gert thought she was doing. She hasn’t run like that in a year.” He guided them back to the barn and helped Katarina dismount.

  Despite “sweet old” Gertrude’s antics, Adam proclaimed Katarina a fine rider when the family gathered around the campfire that night.

  The next evening was celebrated with an ornately decorated birthday cake and a horse-drawn hayride up the hill to watch the fireworks from the surrounding towns.

  Everyone “oohed” and “aahed” except Alex. He was on edge, watching the land, not the sky. “What’s wrong?” Katarina whispered.

  “It’s that time of year, I guess. Fireworks are trouble waiting to happen. The whole area is like a tinderbox waiting to ignite. Over that hill is a campground. Hear the fireworks?”

  She looked around in silence as the rest of the family continued to enjoy the display. A while later, they were ready to head back when Katarina noticed an orange glow on the horizon. “Alex, look.”

  “We’ve got a fire west of Carter Lake. Get us home, Adam. I have my gear in my truck.”

  The wagon jolted forward, and they had a very bouncy ride back to the ranch. Emily looked as if she was going to be sick, while the others tried to determine exactly where the fire was located.

  Adam pulled into the yard and Alex jumped off the wagon. “Call the fire department. I’m heading out.”

  Kevin and the twins’ husbands followed. “Wait a minute, we’ll come with you. Let me get a few more shovels.”

  “I’ll be there in a bit,” Adam added. After he put the team and wagon away, he jumped in his own four-wheel-drive truck and headed up the hill to help.

  Millie ran inside to make the call, and sirens soon wailed in the distance. She started a campfire in the pit as soon as she hung up the phone, and the women and children roasted marshmallows. Two hours later, the men returned black with soot from head to toe. She watched Adam walk to the campfire, sit down and stretch out his long legs on the grass next to her. Four different variations of the same story were told, one from each firefighter. All gave credit to Alex for his leadership and instruction to the rookies.

  Alex and his brothers took turns cleaning up before turning in for the night. She felt like a coward slipping into her bed while he showered. She wasn’t ready to make the kind of decision he seemed to want from her.

  Katarina felt a chill and realized it had nothing to do with the cool mountain air. As they’d watched the orange glow on the horizon, she’d realized how dangerous fire fighting could be. And this blaze was nothing compared to the fires Alex usually battled. Fires had been his life. His passion. Could he ever really give that up?

  Katarina pushed harder, putting in longer hours getting ready for a doll show at the end of July; yet even her fatigue was pushed aside by another electrical storm one night. She couldn’t erase that image of a lightning strike starting another fire, forcing Alex to return to smoke jumping.

  Alex had stayed at Adam’s ranch for a couple of extra days after the camp-out to oversee the digging and pouring of the foundation. He and Adam had given everyone a guided tour of the blueprints. Alex’s excitement over the log structure was second only to his youngest brother’s. Katarina had had a wonderful weekend, in spite of the fears the fire sparked inside.

  Trying to put Alex out of her mind, Katarina dug through her latest shipment of Christmas fabrics and matched fabrics with designs for Sylvia to work on. She yawned.

  “Aren’t you feeling well, Katarina? You don’t look like yourself.”

  Katarina tried to ignore the soreness when she swallowed. “Probably just tired.”

  The plump mother of three teenagers felt Katarina’s head. “You have a fever. Why don’t you go back to bed? I see what you’re wanting on these dresses. I’ll be fine. If I finish early, I’ll start stuffing bodies for you.”

  “Thanks, Syl. Maybe a nap will help.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Alex stayed at the ranch until the end of the week, then returned to catch up on paperwork and gather supplies he’d need to take back after the weekend.

  “How’s Kat feeling?” Kevin asked.

  Alex pushed the button on the copier. “Feeling? What’s wrong with her?”

  His younger brother chuckled. “You’re living with her. I’d assume you knew.”

  “Correction, we share a house—temporarily. That doesn’t mean we keep tabs on each other. I’ve been at Adam’s all week getting things under way. I just came back to pick up a few things.” He gathered the bids and stacked them. “The house didn’t look like she was even home when I dropped by this morning. So what am I supposed to know?”

  Kevin moved to the desk. “I don’t know. She called Emily last night. I didn’t hang around to see if it was a personal or professional call, to be honest.”

  Maybe that was why it didn’t look as if she’d been out of her room. And all this time he’d assumed she was avoiding him. “Maybe I’d better go check on her.”

  “I thought there’s nothing going on between you two?” Kevin gibed.

  “I’m concerned. Is there something wrong with that?”

  Kevin raised his hands in front of him. “Don’t get testy. Take the day off if you’ll feel better. And tell Kat hi for me, too.”

 
Alex backtracked out of the tiny trailer his brother now called an office. Why couldn’t Kevin just accept that he and Katarina were friends? From the looks of things, that’s all they would ever be. It had been a week and his ego was still bruised from her asking him to leave the gazebo.

  He turned into the cul-de-sac and pulled into the driveway. He simply thought Katarina was drawing her boundaries. He’d decided it was for the best. He didn’t want to make more of their relationship than there was. She was still committed to Ron.

  So where was Ron when Katarina needed help? Why wasn’t Ron the one running up the stairs looking like a lovesick fool? Alex stopped. Why was he doing this? She was spoken for. There was no hope of anything between them.

  He walked into the foyer and went to her bedroom door. It remained closed, just as it had been when he left a week ago and when he’d arrived this morning. He lifted his fist to knock, then stopped. Maybe she was drawing the line, just as he’d asked her to.

  He checked the garage. Nothing was out of place. He ran to the basement and into her painting “studio.” Brushes were dry. No trace of turpentine odor. She hadn’t painted in a while.

  Alex returned to the main floor. Was Kevin goading him on? Had Katarina really called to consult with Dr. Emily? Maybe she’d simply been asking for sisterly advice. He tapped his knuckles on her door. If he made a fool of himself, at least it was for a benevolent reason. She didn’t answer. He hesitantly reached for the knob, then stopped.

  Katarina had every right not to answer.

  Alex went across the hall and looked in her sewing room. The seamstress had obviously been here. He read her note to Katarina. “I finished the list of dresses we discussed and sewed two bodies. I couldn’t find…” Alex skimmed the rest of the note…. “Hope you get feeling better. See you Monday.”

  Katarina was sick and too proud to ask for help. He took his cell phone from his belt and dialed her number. After the fifth ring, she answered, then went into a coughing fit. At least, he assumed it was her. Kevin’s concern was far understated.

  “Katarina? It’s Alex. I’m in the living room, and I’m here to check on you. Kevin said you’re sick.” There was a crash on the other end. He pressed End and ran to her room, relieved when the knob turned.

  Katarina was huddled under two layers of comforters, her cheeks flushed and her body curled into a fetal position. Her eyes opened slightly, then drooped closed.

  “Katarina…” he gasped. He touched her forehead and pulled his hand back. “You’re burning up!” He reached for the covers and pulled off the top layer.

  “No. I’m cold,” she croaked, then began coughing.

  He looked around. There wasn’t a glass, or any sign of medication. “Do you have a thermometer?” No response.

  Alex went to the kitchen and brought her a drink. “Come on, Katarina, sit up and take a drink. We need to get some fluids in you.”

  Katarina turned her head.

  He found Katarina’s phone on the floor between the bed and the end table. That must have been the crash he’d heard. When he reached Emily she asked him to bring Katarina in to the office.

  “Could you come here? I can’t even get her to sit up to take a drink. It doesn’t look like she’s had a thing to drink since she came home four days ago. She’s set up a vaporizer, the room’s a sauna and she’s burning up.”

  Emily gave him instructions and agreed to be there in less than an hour. Alex searched for a thermometer, trying to ignore her persistent cough. He couldn’t find anything to give her for the fever, then realized he wouldn’t be able get it down her anyway.

  The doorbell rang, and he was relieved to see Emily, even though she started drilling him for information he couldn’t supply.

  “I just got home today,” Alex explained. “Adam and I worked on the plans until late last night. I had no idea Katarina was sick till Kevin mentioned it this morning when I went in. She seemed fine last weekend.”

  As they both went to Katarina’s room, Alex tried to explain their disagreement, and that he thought she was still avoiding him.

  One look at her sister and Emily started pulling things from her bag. “She was pushing too hard. I’ve tried to tell her she can’t do that.”

  “I tried to tell her the same thing.” Among other things. “That was some of what we argued about. She told me it was none of my business.”

  Right now he just wanted to know what was wrong with Katarina.

  His sister-in-law sat on the edge of the bed. “Kat, it’s Emily. I’m going to take your temperature and do a strep test. We’ll know something soon, honey.” She placed some gadget in Katarina’s ear and removed it when it beeped.

  Alex stared at the contraption, suddenly feeling like a total idiot. “What’s that?”

  “A thermometer.” She glanced at it, and started yanking the remaining covers from Katarina. “Good grief, Katarina, you’re cooking yourself. Take these,” she said, handing him another quilt and a blanket. Dr. Emily checked Katarina’s pulse.

  Alex tossed the comforter to the floor. “What happened to the little glass thing you put in the mouth?”

  Emily laughed. “Ancient history. We have to get her temperature down. Do you know where there’s a basin or bowl I can use to sponge her off?”

  “No, but I’ll find something.” Alex returned with a bowl of tepid water and grabbed one of the pretty washcloths from the basket in Katarina’s bathroom. Emily took the culture, then placed the swab in a tube and pinched the end. Katarina started coughing again. “Let’s get some fresh air in here. Heavens sakes alive, Katarina, it’s perfect breeding grounds for germs.”

  Emily turned to him. “If you’ll make her some juice, I’ll change her clothes. Then let’s move her onto the sofa while her room airs out. I don’t want her in a draft. We should also change the sheets.”

  Alex closed the door behind him, went to the kitchen and took the juice from the refrigerator. He quickly jotted down a list of groceries to pick up when he had a chance.

  He ran upstairs and got a pillow from his bed and clean linens from the closet. Just as his mother had when he was a boy, he spread the sheet on the sofa and placed a clean pillowcase on the pillow. He thought a minute, then ran back up the stairs to see if she kept extra sheets for her bed in her room or in that same upstairs linen closet. This house, while very nice, was about as functional as a bunkhouse.

  “Alex. We’re ready. She won’t wake. If you wouldn’t mind helping her to the other room, I umm…shouldn’t.” Emily’s hand brushed her abdomen. “I shouldn’t lift her.”

  He looked at his sister-in-law, stunned. Had he been here, away from his own life, that long? Making a quick calculation, he estimated Kevin and Emily had been married just under two months now. “You mean…you’re pregnant?”

  Emily’s face matched her red hair. “A honeymoon baby. I just took the test yesterday. We’re not making it public knowledge yet, but I don’t want you to think I’m being a wimp. Normally I’d try lifting her myself.”

  “Of course you can’t take a chance. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you.” Emily smiled. “Let Kevin tell you about the baby, please. He’s dying to break the news, and I’ve begged him to wait until the first trimester is over.”

  Silently he nodded. The last thing he was thinking about right now was ruining his brother’s secret.

  “I have the sofa ready for her.” Alex cradled her in his arms, one hand under Katarina’s shoulders and one beneath her knees. “Come on, sweetie.”

  He carefully eased his way through the door. Looking at the seemingly lifeless form in his arms, he couldn’t believe it was spunky, vivacious Katarina. How could a few days change a person so drastically? He instinctively pulled her closer, wishing he could be the man she wanted to protect and take care of her.

  And in the meantime, where was the man who was supposed to be doing just that? Did Katarina even realize Ron should be helping her through tough times like this? He realized
that because their father had walked out, all three sisters had a serious independent streak in them. Self-preservation, he guessed. “Is she even conscious?”

  There was a long pause before Emily answered. “For all practical purposes, no.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “I don’t think it’s strep. Without her cooperation, I couldn’t get a clear diagnosis from listening to her lungs, but I think I heard a crackle in her left lung. The cough alone is a pretty good indicator of pneumonia. X rays will give us a definite answer.”

  “I’ll be glad to take her. What time?”

  “Thank you so much, Alex. I’ll call the clinic to see when we can get her in. My only other choice would have been to call an ambulance.”

  “If she has pneumonia, shouldn’t she stay in the hospital?”

  “Unless there are other complications, I think we can handle it here, if you don’t mind. After we get her medicated, she’ll sleep most of the time. I guarantee she’ll get more rest here than at the hospital. I’ll come by a few times a day to check on her, and if you could do the same, she should be okay. I could hire someone to come in and help her for a few days.”

  “You don’t need to hire anyone, I’ll be here.”

  Emily smiled as she moved to the kitchen. “I see you have a list started already. I’ll run to the store to get these things and get her prescriptions filled. Call if you think of anything else.”

  He nodded, then took the sheets to the basement and started the laundry. He stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. God, I shouldn’t be feeling so protective of Katarina. He reviewed the list of reasons he shouldn’t let himself fall in love with her. She was too young, and he couldn’t pretend the nine-year difference in their age didn’t exist. She bubbled over with optimism, and he could barely manage pessimistic realism. She longed to experience life, and he was ready to settle down. He watched the summer breeze rustling the trees. “What am I going to do? It just isn’t fair, God. Why now? Why her?”