Linda had her trademark white chef’s apron on and a streak of gold in her dark hair. It had been a long time since Linda wore streaks, Conrad thought. When she first started with the café she used to have a different color in her hair every few days. But she’d calmed down in the years since then.
“We don’t need anything fancy,” Conrad muttered in case she was on some creative kick. “Place settings or food, just regular will do.”
He remembered that the café owner sometimes cooked gourmet romantic dinners for couples she decided should be together. He didn’t want to scare Katrina away with peach flambé or anything. Besides, she had enough to deal with today. She’d have to talk to the sheriff some more after they ate.
As they walked, Linda touched Conrad on the elbow and motioned for him to hold back. They let Katrina and the boys go far enough ahead that they wouldn’t be able to hear them.
“Why didn’t you tell me your calendar woman was in town?” Linda whispered, low and urgent. She looked distressed. “I finally convince Tracy to come over for lunch, thinking the two of you could—you know—casually sit together. I thought it would cheer her up. And here you are—hours before lunch so there’s no time for my pep talk to her. And there’s no reason to give it anyway since you came in all lovey-dovey with some woman you picked off a calendar!”
“We’re not lovey-dovey.” He was aghast. They hadn’t even kissed. “I was just wiping away the rain.”
“People get wet in the rain. No one needs the drops wiped off their face.”
“Well, maybe not, but—” He realized he had no reasonable excuse to offer so he let the sentence trail off. “I didn’t pick her off the calendar. She just drove into town this morning. Muffler problems. She was going somewhere—I don’t know where, but she didn’t even mean to come here.”
Linda shook her head in bewilderment. “What are the odds then? No one comes here who’s been on a calendar anyone has seen.”
“I know,” Conrad admitted miserably.
“Especially not when we’re praying for—well, you know.”
“Believe me, I do.”
Neither one of them said anything for a minute.
“Well,” Linda said, her voice suddenly getting a bracing tone to it. “Since that’s how it happened, my advice is to grab your chance. This calendar woman isn’t going to wait around for you forever. Just because your uncle prayed her into town doesn’t mean you can relax. You’ve got to show her a good time. Do more than talk about engines when you eat.”
He was watching Katrina get her nephews settled at the kids’ table. She put a bib on the youngest boy and handed both boys the crayons. They all seemed happy enough.
“Engines run the world,” Conrad said when he looked back at Linda.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not putting any napkins by your plate. All you do is draw those diagrams on them. I know Tracy wouldn’t have minded, but this woman probably doesn’t think like we do around here.”
Conrad had to agree with that, but all he could say was, “I only diagrammed that forward thrust vector once. It got us to the moon.”
“If you’re going to talk about the moon, go outside and look at the moon.”
“It’s raining.”
“You know what I mean.” The café owner had lost her hesitation and seemed to be veering in the opposite direction. “It wouldn’t hurt you to say a few nice things to the woman. She probably expects some oohing and ahhing. She’s gorgeous. Men probably tell her that all the time. You better, too. And ask her what her favorite movie is. Make her think you have a life.”
“I do have a life,” Conrad said, but he was talking to the air. Linda had already walked away.
Before he could gather himself together, Linda was standing at the table where he should be.
“Good, you found the bib and got everyone settled down,” the café owner said to Katrina.
Conrad was almost afraid to join Katrina at the adult table with the pink plastic roses on it. But then he looked behind him and saw his aunt and uncle and Pete and Tracy all staring at him. He wouldn’t want to make the explanations he’d need to make if he didn’t sit down with Katrina and eat.
He smiled at the rear guard. Tracy’s face looked pinched and she’d added some blonde to her brown hair and fussed it up some. Pete had on new boots.
“Just having a late breakfast,” Conrad said with a forced smile. “Tracy, Pete, good to see you.”
Both Tracy and Pete looked startled.
“We’re not together.” Pete’s face reddened.
“I’m just here early for lunch,” Tracy said at the same time. She took a step away from the ranch hand. “I was going to put another streak in Linda’s hair before I eat, but—”
It was hard to know which way the wind blew there, Conrad thought. Ordinarily, Pete would be working at this time of day. He was dressed up in a clean snapped shirt and he had his dark hair slicked back though so it must mean something. Now that Pete was getting older, he’d make some woman a good husband, Conrad thought and then winced. People had probably been saying that same thing about him for years. Maybe Pete was just in town to buy some nails at the hardware store. A man could dress up without needing to walk down the aisle.
Conrad nodded to everyone and turned around to step closer to the table where his fate awaited him. Linda made her coffee strong and he was glad for it. He figured this breakfast would be a long, painful one. Linda might think he should take his chances, but he wasn’t one to throw his heart out there where it was going to be trampled. There was nothing wrong with being cautious when it came to picking out a woman to date.
He sat down at the table and looked up to see Tracy still standing there. Now why couldn’t he be sitting here with her? She wouldn’t care if he rambled on about farm equipment or engines or the price of wheat. And, if she was going to trample on a man’s heart, she wouldn’t do it when she was wearing lethal high heels with those black straps that tied a man up like they did. Tracy could give him free haircuts, too. That had to count for something.
He picked up his menu. The thought came unbidden that he and Tracy had known each other for thirty years. Granted, she hadn’t lived around here for all of that time, but she’d been back and forth. If they were meant to be together, wouldn’t they have noticed it before now? He glanced back up at her. He wasn’t even sure what kind of shoes she wore. He didn’t think he’d ever noticed her feet.
Well, he told himself, no one ever said love came easy to a man. He’d just need to pay more attention. He could learn all he needed to know about Tracy’s footwear. She would make him a fine wife if Pete wasn’t going to make any moves—which, the more Conrad thought about it, the more he doubted. Pete was the most hard-core bachelor around. He might chase all the women, but he’d take care not to catch one.
Conrad wasn’t like Pete. He wanted to get married—someday. He was just being careful about it.
And Tracy might be the one for him. Granted, she didn’t make his heart wobble, but he wouldn’t wake up one morning like his father, either. He hadn’t told his uncle, but there were days with his father that were so bleak Conrad didn’t even want to be in the same house with him. He was probably seven years old at the time and he would spend days in the barn with the cats and the chickens, all of which would have starved if he hadn’t taken over their feeding. Grief never left his father’s house until the day the man died of a heart attack. Conrad had just turned sixteen, so he was old enough to stay on the ranch alone.
His uncle might think there was something wrong with him taking the safe road when it came to romance, but Conrad didn’t agree. Conrad had seen where the other road could take a man, and he never wanted to go there. Loving someone might seem good at first, but it could lead to unimaginable tragedy. He’d rather be alone than go through what his father had.
Chapter Four
Katrina sipped on the hot lemon tea that Linda had put down in front of her.
“It’s a
soothing drink for a stressful day,” the café owner said. “I sit down and have a cup myself on busy days.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” Katrina said with a quick glance at Conrad. He had become distant when they came into this café and she thought she knew why. His uncle, probably without thinking, must have told the people here that she was on the verge of being arrested. She didn’t blame Conrad for wanting to be sure his friends knew he wasn’t getting too familiar with someone like that.
“I’m just passing through town,” she said, loudly enough for everyone to hear the words. Of course, technically the sheriff might have something to say about that, but she had to believe Leanne would answer the phone sometime today.
After Katrina’s declaration, no one even looked back at her. Which was strange because they all seemed to have been looking at her before she spoke.
Linda excused herself and went to get the rest of their breakfast.
“Have you seen the new George Clooney movie?” Conrad asked.
“No, is there one?” Katrina’s attention was on the boys sitting at the table across from them. Linda had just set down pancakes in front of them that had mouse ears and what looked like dried blueberries for eyes. Or maybe the eyes were—
“Do kids choke on raisins?” she looked up and asked Conrad. He’d be the kind of guy to know something like that. He probably knew how to do the Heimlich maneuver, too.
“I suppose they could.” He looked startled. “It’s not likely, though. Why?”
She nodded her head toward the pancakes. “Look at that. They could get those raisins stuck in their throats and hurt themselves with those plastic juice glasses. I don’t know how parents do it.” She turned back and looked at him. “I’ve heard milk allergies can start around the boys’ ages. Do you think they should be drinking it?”
“What are they going to eat?” Conrad asked, looking bewildered.
She glanced over at her nephews and noticed they were eating too fast. And they had white rings of milk around their mouths. If they were allergic to something, she didn’t even know what to look for.
“I wonder if they have soy milk here.” Katrina started to look around for someone to ask. Fortunately, Linda was coming out of the kitchen with a couple of platters, probably for their table.
Katrina hadn’t been able to concentrate enough on the menu to actually pick something out, so she’d asked Conrad to order for her.
“That smells wonderful,” she said.
“There’s bacon,” Conrad said. “I wouldn’t have ordered it if I knew you were one of those soy kind of people. I don’t think Linda carries any of the bacon made out of vegetables.”
“Do they make such a thing?” Katrina asked. He had her attention now. She’d never seen a man so nervous. She finally understood. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to make a mad dash for freedom while I’m eating my bacon or anything.”
“Oh, I didn’t think—” He started but clearly couldn’t finish the sentence with a good conscience.
She felt the tears start in her eyes again. She blinked hard to make them go away. He was not really anyone to her. He was just fixing the muffler on her sister’s car. She’d pay him and that would be the end of it. She wasn’t good at relationships; she froze up when she should open up. She had a hard time telling people how she felt. But it was okay. There was no reason to care what he thought about her, anyway.
Linda set the two platters down on their table. “There you go. Two farm fresh breakfasts with fruit.”
“Thank you,” Katrina said as she looked up and forced herself to smile. She wasn’t going to cry again today, especially not in front of this man.
“Conrad always orders the best breakfast around,” Linda gushed as she moved the salt and pepper shakers into the middle of the table. “He knows how to—well, how to entertain a lady.” Linda paused, looking stricken. “Not that he entertains many of them. I mean, not in that way—he usually comes in for dinner, not breakfast. I—”
“It’s okay, Linda,” Conrad said.
Katrina looked away. “I’m just passing through,” she repeated. She blinked again. “I had a problem with the muffler on my sister’s car and he’s fixing it.”
She glanced back up.
Linda nodded. “He’s good at that, too.” Then she looked down at Conrad. “He’s actually good at many things. Why, I think he helped paint the mural on the side of that barn on the far edge of town. He’s got a real talent.”
“I operated the forklift and helped paint the clouds on the top,” Conrad said dryly. “It wasn’t much.”
“Now, don’t be modest,” Linda said as she put her hands in the front pockets of her chef apron. “If either of you need anything else, you just let me know. That melon is sweet.”
“It looks delicious,” Katrina said. The plate in front of her had an egg, sunny side up, with two slices of bacon and a short stack of pancakes. The slices of melon were on the side.
“I’ll bring the syrups right out. I have maple and blueberry,” Linda said as she turned to leave. “And I’ll bring more pancakes for the boys, too.”
“Could you make them without the eyes?” Conrad asked.
“Sure,” Linda said. “I’ll make dollar pancakes. You know, the plain round ones.”
“Thanks,” Conrad said.
Katrina blinked again.
“Don’t cry,” Conrad said softly after Linda had walked away.
“I’m not crying. I have—my face is just wet from the rain.”
She still didn’t look up at him.
“You don’t have to eat anything you don’t like,” Conrad said. “I can order something else.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, this is perfect.” Katrina lifted her fork and tried to smile even though she had no appetite now.
Conrad nodded. “You’ll need your strength.”
“You think I’m going to jail, don’t you?” She sat back and looked at him.
He shook his head. “I just think it’s going to be a long day. The sheriff hasn’t come in to say he’s reached anyone at the number you gave him. He’s not likely to just say you can leave town. He might not look so tough, but Sheriff Wall is like a pit bull when he’s on the job. He won’t let go once he knows what he has to do.”
“Well, you would know him better than I do,” she said. And with that she used her fork to spear a piece of melon.
Conrad watched Katrina as she finished the last of her food. He looked over and saw that the boys were done, too.
“Let’s get out of here.” He put down three ten-dollar bills on the table. Linda would have a good tip. “I’ll take you down to that sign you want to see and we’ll see about getting you set up to take your picture.”
“The lighting is not good enough to take the pictures now. I’ll have to take them tomorrow if it’s not cloudy. Come on, boys,” she added as she looked over at them. “Let’s get your coats back on.”
Conrad noticed that her face was getting a little more color to it.
“You can at least see the sign, though,” he said. “And I can stop on the way out and ask Tracy if she knows any young women that fit what you need. She cuts hair so she might know of some blondes.”
“Is that the woman who’s been looking at us?” Katrina asked as she pulled Zach’s red coat over his arms. Ryan seemed to be managing his own.
Conrad wondered how she could tell who had been looking at them. He knew everyone was keeping an eye on their table.
“She likes you,” Katrina said matter-of-factly as she stood and took her jacket off the back of her chair.
“Well, I always tip her when she cuts my hair.” Conrad stood up.
Katrina looked at him skeptically and smiled softly. “I don’t think it’s your hair that is troubling her right now.”
Conrad knew he shouldn’t, but he turned around so he could look back and see what Katrina was talking about. He swiveled back. “She’s not even looking at me.”
“Not now,” K
atrina agreed as she put her jacket on. “But she was looking. I don’t think she likes me very much.”
“She doesn’t even know you. Why would she—”
Katrina gave him a look that shot right through him. Then she nodded. “She’s jealous all right.”
Conrad was speechless. “No—”
Katrina shrugged. “Suit yourself then. But I recognize that stare.”
She gathered up the boys and walked toward the door. Conrad followed behind them. He told himself it wasn’t because he liked to watch Katrina walk. Although he did wonder how she swayed the way she did.
“We’ll wait for you on the porch,” she said when she opened the door.
Leave it to Katrina to cut out when he could use some moral support. It was up to him to ask the favor of Tracy.
“Good seeing you here,” he greeted Tracy as heartily as he could. “Your hair’s looking good.”
“It’s the same cut as always.”
“I was hoping you might be able to help me out,” he said. He couldn’t stand to inch his way up on this.
“Oh?”
“My—” He stopped in a panic. He should have thought this through. “My customer,” he continued. “She’s trying to get a business started as a photographer and she wants to take a picture of a local couple looking at the heart sign down the road. She needs a young blonde woman, pretty and expressive, to be one of the models in the shot. It’s supposed to be romantic and I thought you might know someone who—”
Tracy was silent.
Conrad forced himself not to fidget.
“Who’s the man?” Tracy finally asked.
“What—” Conrad started. “What man?”
Tracy looked at him like he was slow. “The man that’s going to be in the picture with this blonde you want me to find. Any woman’s going to want to know who the man is if she’s going to be taking some romantic picture with him.”
“That makes sense. I didn’t hear her mention the man. But I’ll go ask.”
Wife Wanted in Dry Creek Page 5