Coming Home (Norris Lake Series)

by Koresdoski, Amy

  “So, how is the business going?” Cat asked.

  “Terrible, I wish you hadn’t asked,” he said with a pensive look of concern on his face. “I don’t know what’s going on. There’s been an onslaught of bad luck around the building sites, some of the construction crews have been scared off from working and I have even had threats to stop development on the new condos I am building along the north side of the lake. If things don’t change, I don’t know if I am going to be able to keep the business.”

  “I didn’t realize things were so bad, Dad,” she said leaning forward with concern. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “What could you have done? Maybe I am just getting too old to keep it going.” I hired a business manager and private investigator to try to figure out what’s going on. I may sound crazy but I think there may be someone out there targeting me and my business just to see it fail. I should have my first report this week,” he continued.

  “What can I do to help Dad?” Cat inquired.

  “You can always help me with the crew on the condo site. You were always good with both the business side of things and with the crews”. Help me keep track of the progress. If I can finish the condos by the due date, I will still make enough to get out of this hole”.

  She looked at him for a moment and then took a sip in her wine. “What about Michael? I thought he was helping you with the business.”

  “Not anymore; he’s unreliable,” her father said without offering any additional information and looked at her square in the eye for a moment then looked away. He sat back and took a draw on his drink and turned the volume up on the TV just in time to see the Volunteer Marching Band take the field for half-time.

  “Well, Dad, I just stopped by to check in with you.” Cat said moving towards the door.

  “You’re not staying here?” He looked over his glasses at her and frowned.

  “I have some thinking to do Dad. I am going to go stay at the lake house.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek and squeezed his hand.

  He nodded but the frown never left his face. “You be careful and give me a call when you get there. Come back for dinner Sunday night.” It wasn’t a request but rather a gruff order.

  “Yes, sir.” Cat agreed feeling 16 all over again. She turned and left.

  Fifteen minutes later, as Caitlyn drove down the winding road next to the Clinch River, she watched the fishermen standing thigh deep in the water. The river was shallow for the most part due to the huge dam that had been built upstream.

  Once a day a loud horn would sound signaling the opening of the dam floodgates. Water would begin rising and the water would come spilling down through the riverbed creating a true river.

  During the times when the river was shallow, the fishermen would congregate like churchgoers to a service on Sunday. They would stand with rubber waders throwing flies towards shallow pools, hoping to catch one of the rainbow trout that inescapably lay in wait for an unsuspecting meal.

  The morning sunlight shone on the water and glistened off of the black rock of the exposed river bed. An awning of trees draped itself over the road for as far as the eye could see giving her the feeling of tranquility and protection. As she drove down the road towards the dam, she passed an ancient sawmill with a waterwheel. The water ran down the side of one of the mountains which were characteristic of East Tennessee and across the old waterwheel into a deep pool below. It was a quaint sight, untouched by the grasping hands of progress.

  She drove across the top of the dam and along a twisting, winding road. It meandered through the dark woods, up and down the hills until it took her back along the side of the lake up above the dam. Lake houses and summer cabins were nestled along the lake, some of them empty and some housing those who lived on the lake year round.

  She squinted at the house numbers looking for 1440 Riverside Road, counting the numbers as she neared her destination. Pulling into the gravel driveway, she patted the head of her dog waking her.

  "Wake up Pattycake. We’re here,” she sighed and pulled the truck a stop alongside the house. The little dog yawned, stretched and put her paws up on the side of the window peering out at her new surroundings. A couple of squirrels ran from a nearby tree through the newly fallen leaves and across the driveway.

  "Bark. Bark. Bark,” Patty yipped panting to look at her master as if asking permission to give chase. Caitlyn walked around the side of the navy bronco and opening the door lifted the little dog out onto the ground. Patty sniffed the dirt and then ran up the steps of the nearby house. A wide porch encircled the entire house. Another balcony angled out from the house’s second level. Cat walked along the deck to the third flower pot on the railing of the porch and dug her fingers into the moist dirt just under the flowers. Her fingers found her prize, the key to the front door.

  This house belonged to her godfather. He was a huge man, easily over 300 pounds, who always smiled and had hugs for anyone who came near. When she had finally swallowed her pride and called for help, her godmother had suggested the lake house.

  Her godfather owned a big trucking company in nearby Clinton. Even though they kept the house maintained and had a cleaning lady come by once a month, her godparents seldom used the lake house now that they had grandchildren in Knoxville. When her godmother had offered it to her, it was like offering a drowning man an island in the middle of the ocean. Caitlyn had accepted the refuge right away.

  As she walked through the house’s main door, the hallway opened up into a great room dominated by a stone fireplace and great glass windows. It was an A-frame with a two loft master bedrooms one upstairs, one downstairs, two additional smaller bedrooms upstairs, a study, a living room, kitchen and utility room, all downstairs. Across the back of the living room a set of sliding glass doors opened up on to a large wooden deck overlooking the lake. Evergreens and huge maple trees sheltered the house and a narrow set of wooden stairs led from the back deck steps to a boat dock about 300 feet away. She wondered how anyone could call a 6,000 foot lake house a getaway cabin.

  She walked through the house and out on to the back porch. A cool breeze blew through her hair and she breathed a sigh of relief. She had depended on her husband so long for companionship and financial support that she was unable to decide how she felt about being totally independent. It had been so long since she had been on her own and she was terrified. In a way, this house and the lake, returning to where she had grown up seemed almost cleansing and she smiled for the first time since she’d left her home.

  "Come on Patty. Let’s get our stuff and get unpacked,” she called to the dog as she headed for the truck to get her things. "I don’t know how long we’ll be here, little dog, and I don’t know what we’re going to do, but let’s worry about that tomorrow."

  After she got settled, Caitlin pulled out her laptop and logged onto the internet. She posted to Dominic’s email address the letter she’d spent so much time composing. She was not surprised she hadn’t heard from him yet today. Even though she’d been gone before he woke and it had been several hours, they’d lead their own lives so long, it could be a day or so before he’d start to wonder where she was. Tears welled in her eyes as she hit the send button, thus ending a very large chapter of her life. Putting her face in her hands, Caitlyn felt the warm tears against her palms once again. The black ball of fur lay at her feet. She leaned down picking up the small dog and holding her close to her face smelling her sweet, musky smell. Setting the puppy on the desk she shoved the PC to one side and put her head in her arms and cried; being grown up sucked.

  Chapter 6

  Even though the lake house came stocked with most everything else, she had checked and there wasn’t a thing to eat. Pausing for a moment, she wondered if she should go for a run. She started running to have some time to herself away from all the problems in the world and to relieve stress from both her personal life and work. Normally, she ran about four miles every morning. In the last few weeks her routine had been knocke
d out of whack.

  Thinking a moment, she decided to forgive herself for one more morning and start her new routine tomorrow. She hurriedly got a shower and pulled on a pair of worn blue jeans, a long sleeved shirt and her favorite pair of running shoes. She let Pattycake out for a moment and then locked the little dog in the house with a bowl of water and a promise to be home soon. She climbed in her truck and headed off towards town.

  Driving along the main road, she marveled at the beautiful scenery. The evergreens, maples, poplars, dogwoods of east Tennessee covered the mountains like a thick fur. Half of the trees were beginning to turn shades of red, yellow and orange. Those colors mixed with various shades of green and the smell of the clean mountain air was a cure for her injured spirit. The early sunshine beamed down from the blue sky painting shadows on the ground. The warmth of the sun was counteracted by the thin morning chill in the air promising the end of summer and an early autumn.

  There were no crowds of people, no long lines of traffic and no strip malls to mar her trip. Norris was primarily a bedroom community for Knoxville. Many of its residents were retirees looking for peace or young parents who wanted their kids to grow up in a community where the crime rate was close to zero.

  The town originally served as temporary housing for construction workers and their families who came to build Norris Dam; then living in Norris was living in a company town. TVA operated everything, including the auto repair shop, cafeteria, school, gasoline station and more. TVA gave up control of the city in 1948; now Norris was just a haven for people who wanted to get away from a larger city. It was far enough from Knoxville to discourage commuters but progressive enough to have not only basic amenities, but the luxury of a few specialty boutiques to attract tourists. At the center of town was a county building and town square with a statue of a confederate soldier in the middle.

  The town was surrounded by miles of undeveloped forest that kept the outside world at bay. Most of the houses, with their natural chimneys and cedar shingles, blended into the forest. Many didn’t face the street directly, but turned toward one another, as if in conversation. Between them, paths meandered through the woods in different directions. It seemed almost like summer camp. The houses were built on a modest and tasteful scale, with an eye to comfort. The historic part of the town were completely walkable. The people of Norris were able to visit their neighbors, mail a package, fill a prescription, do some light grocery shopping, and meet the kids at school, all without getting into a car.

  There’s was no traffic even with a 20-mile-an-hour speed limit. Though there were no billboards and few street signs in Norris, Caitlyn remembered every road and parked her truck, deciding to stop in the library for a minute.

  All her life she had loved books and still thought the best time spent was not with a television but with a good novel. Books were a way to escape the world and dream. She hadn’t read that much lately.

  Walking into the library she nodded to the librarian at the front desk.

  "Hello" she said smiling at the librarian. "How do I get a library card?"

  The woman looked at her and smiled back. "Well, now all you need to do here is fill out this application. Are you new to Norris?"

  "Not really. I used to live here years ago and am back for a long visit or may be for good. I live out on Riverside Drive.”

  "That is nice. It is so pretty out there in the fall with all the colors against the lake. My name is Julia Owens and I have been the librarian here for over fifteen years. I am also the town historian. I know all about everything that goes on in Norris,” she continued as Caitlyn filled out the application. "This may be a small library but we have all kinds of new books and specialize in history for this area."

  Caitlyn nodded at her and handed over the application.

  Julia looked over the information and said," Well, Caitlyn Lawson, I will make out your card right now. You can look around the library and pick out some books. It should take about ten minutes or so."

  "Thank you, Julia. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Caitlyn walked away from the librarian’s desk towards the tall shelves of books. The librarian was right; Caitlyn thought to herself, the little library was doing pretty well for such a rural town. There wasn’t even a public library here when she was young. They had to drive to Knoxville or use the library at the school.

  She wandered towards the fiction department searching titles of books on display shelves as she walked. Picking up a book that sounded interesting, she walked towards the glass display cases which were full of historic articles and artifacts about the Norris area. Looking at the articles from years ago from the Norris paper, she read stories about building the dam and craftsmen.

  "Interesting times weren’t they? Lots of news were about local craftsmen too" a voice behind her spoke. She started a bit and turned around to see a middle aged woman with long graying brown hair pulled back in a braid. A pair of piercing gray eyes peered out from under a set of wispy bangs. Laugh lines surrounded her eyes and her smile ended in a pair of deep dimples. She wore a pair of light blue sweat pants, with a matching shirt and white tennis shoes. Behind one ear she had a pencil and held a stack of books under her arm.

  "Hello. I didn’t mean to startle you,” the woman said as concern creased her brow.

  "You didn’t. I was just deep in thought,” Caitlyn answered. "I am interested in the area. I grew up around here and always loved the craftspeople. Are you a crafts person?"

  The old woman chuckled under her breath. "I don’t know if you can say what I do qualifies as a craftsperson in the sense that you are talking about, but I am a craftsperson in a way. I am a writer. My name is Jesse. Jesse James,” the woman said extending her hand as she juggled the books under one arm.

  Caitlyn smiled broadly and giggle clasping her mouth with one hand.

  “Don’t worry. I get that reaction all the time. Yes, I know what you are thinking…like the bank robber. I am no relation, I guarantee you,” Jesse assured her.

  "I am Caitlyn Lawson. It is nice to meet you,” she said holding out her hand. “Wow. A writer that is fascinating.”

  The woman turned to set her books down on a nearby table. "Sit down a minute with me."

  "What are you writing about?" Caitlyn asked as she took a seat across from Jesse, the table filled with a stack of books separating them.

  "I am writing a historic account of the area folklore. I have written a couple of fiction novels, but this will be my first non-fiction endeavor. I am just fascinated by Appalachian sects and don’t want the history of this area dying with the generation.”

  "What else have you written?" Caitlyn asked eagerly. "I love to read and it would be neat to read a book by someone that you actually know".

  "Are you new in town?" Jesse asked, changing the subject.

  Caitlyn looked down at the book she had chosen and nodded her head. "In a way, I am new to town. I grew up here, but just moved back yesterday."

  "Are you married? Have any children?" Jesse inquired.

  Caitlyn made a face scrunching her brows as if she were in pain. "No children and my husband and I separated recently".

  "Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just making small talk. I don’t know too many people yet,” Jesse said, touching Caitlyn’s hand lightly.

  "So are you from Norris?” Caitlyn inquired.

  “No. I used to have family that lived near here,” Jesse said. “They owned property on the north side of the lake near the caves. I came here a few months ago to find out more about my ancestors and bought a house just a few miles from here. But enough of all that.” Jesse looked off in the distance as if thinking about something far away.

  “So what do you do for a living?” Jesse inquired bringing herself back around.

  “I am a professor at U.T. I teach computing forensics,” Caitlyn responded.

  “Oh, what a blessing,” Jesse beamed. “I bought a new computer last week and am having a devil of a time setting up my wire
less network. It just won’t work. How can I bribe you to come over and give an old woman some help?”

  Smiling Caitlyn thought for a moment. “Lend me one of your books and we’ll call it even.”

  "Well, I’ll tell you young’un, if you will come by and see me day after tomorrow for lunch and help me set up my computer, I will give you a copy of one of my books to read right now, signed by the real honest to god, famous author. In addition, I will treat you to a homemade meal with fresh baked bread. It’s very lonely around here sometimes so I try to gather as many friends as I can. Bribery with food works best. A technologically astute friend is just all that much more welcome," Jesse gleamed with another of her deep smiles. "And I won’t take no for an answer. I live on the south side of the lake. Here I will draw you a map.” She tore a piece of a paper from her notebook and began scratching directions to her house on it.

  “You tempted me with the book but closed the deal with the home baked bread. I can almost taste it now,” Caitlyn smiled as she watched Jesse. Caitlyn looked forward to spending some more time with Jesse. They just seemed to hit it off. Caitlyn didn’t know until that moment how desperate she was for a friend and confidant. It had been a long time since she had a close friend.

  Jesse finished the directions. "Here is my phone number too. Now I will expect you Monday around noon, Okay?" Jesse said as she passed Caitlyn the directions.

  Caitlyn nodded her head. "Thank you I am looking forward to it and I will be there. Can I bring anything?"

  "Just your appetite, sweetie."

  Caitlyn laughed and started to stand up. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen and she felt dizzy. Stumbling she sat back down on her chair almost missing it all together.

  Jesse stood up almost knocking over her own chair. "Are you all right?" she asked in a worried voice, putting one arm around Caitlyn’s shoulders.