A HOME FOR THE HUNTER

by Christine Rimmer

  Sunshine looked pained. "Right. Jared Jones is my dad."

  "Fine. So Olivia met a mountain lion near the cabin—"

  "Where my father and Eden live. Olivia was over there for dinner, since it was the night they all have off. She left late and decided to take a shortcut back to her place. She met the lion on the trail she found that cut across to Main Street

  ."

  "She met it? It introduced itself?"

  Sunshine rolled her eyes. "You want to hear about this or not?"

  "I want to hear."

  "Good. Then don't get sarcastic."

  "All right. Tell me."

  "Fine. She wasn't hurt. The mountain lion only appeared on the path in front of her, growled at her and then walked off into the trees." Sunshine turned and poured Jack a tomato juice, which she then set before him. "Grandpa Oggie doesn't like it. He says the cougars are taking over, now a man can't shoot them anymore." She set out a napkin for Jack and put flatware on top of it. "My father and Sam Fletcher are talking about seeing if they can get a depredation permit so they can track it down and get rid of it. But it'll never happen. Not unless the cougar actually kills somebody's dog or attacks a kid or something." She looked up. "You want the usual, right?"

  Jack was already turning for the street.

  "Hey, what about your breakfast?" Sunshine called after him.

  He gave her a wave and said nothing. He had more important things to deal with than bacon and eggs.

  Since Olivia had been reasonably sure Jack would be paying her a visit, she should have been prepared for the sight of him. But she wasn't.

  When she pulled open the door and saw him standing on her porch, her heart seemed to stop for a moment. She had to remind herself to speak.

  "Jack! How nice to see you. Come in."

  He stayed where he was. "I heard about the cougar."

  "You did?"

  "Yeah. I don't like it."

  "Yes, it was pretty frightening, but I—"

  "When are you getting a car?"

  She blinked. This was not how she'd imagined this conversation would go. She did her best to keep up with him. "A car?"

  "Yeah. When are you getting one?"

  "Well, as a matter of fact, I'm doing all right without one so far." The truth was that as soon as she had a vehicle, she'd no longer have a reason to ask Jack to drive her anywhere.

  "You can't go on without a car forever. When will you buy one?"

  "Oh, I don't know. My father and Mindy are coming for a visit next weekend. Maybe I'll think about finding a car then. My father said he would help me choose one."

  Jack looked at her measuringly. "So your father's coming, huh?"

  "Yes."

  "You think you're ready to see him?"

  "Yes. I think I am."

  He studied her, his midnight eyes unreadable. "Well, good for you," he said at last. There was honest admiration in his voice.

  Olivia should have been pleased. But she wasn't. Her heart sank to her toes.

  She really was ready to see her father. She'd come a long way in a short time. But she sensed that what kept Jack in town was his feeling of responsibility for her. Thus, each new proof that she was dealing with her problems brought Jack that much closer to deciding she was fully capable of taking care of herself. She knew what would happen then. He would walk out of her life forever.

  He demanded, "Now, what about the car?"

  She tried again. "Jack? Won't you come in?"

  "No. Answer me about the car."

  She sighed. "Well, as I said, maybe I'll take care of getting transportation when my father comes. He's mentioned that we could drive down to Auburn together and look for something."

  "Good. Do it. Until then, stay out of the woods. And until you do get a car, I'll meet you at the Mercantile Grill after your shift every night, to drive you home."

  One of the many bits of advice Oggie had given her was that she should put up enough resistance to Jack's plans that he wouldn't become suspicious of a setup. So she argued. "But I like walking home. It's not very far and I—"

  "Fine. As long as the weather's good, I'll walk you home."

  She allowed herself to smile again. "Well, all right. That would be very nice."

  "And I mean it. Don't go wandering around the woods alone."

  "Jack, this is the mountains. There are wild animals in the mountains. That's the way it is." Since there had been no cougar, except in Oggie's imagination, this was easy for her to say.

  Jack was not impressed with her fearlessness. "Fine. Stay out of the woods. Do you work tonight?"

  "Yes. Every night but Sunday and Monday."

  "I'll be there when you get off."

  "All right."

  He turned to leave.

  She remembered another bit of advice from Oggie: "Don't you miss a single opportunity to be near that man, understand?"

  "Wait. Jack?"

  He faced her again. His expression was not encouraging. "What?"

  "I'm sorry to impose on you any more than I already have. I really am. But I'm out of food and I wonder if—"

  "No problem. I'll get myself some breakfast and come back for you. About an hour. Good enough?"

  "Thanks. But listen. I was just ready to fix my own breakfast and it would be no problem to fix some for you, too."

  She knew he was remembering what had happened the last time she'd cooked for him. She could see it in his eyes.

  "No, thanks. One hour. Be ready."

  "But—"

  He turned and ran down the steps away from her so fast that an uninformed observer might have wondered what was chasing him.

  * * *

  Chapter 14

  « ^ »

  The trip to Grass Valley got Olivia the groceries she needed and that was all.

  With Jack she got nowhere. He sat behind the wheel, not speaking unless spoken to, his face a stern mask. He pushed the cart for her in the supermarket, never cracking so much as a smile.

  When they drove up in front of her house at a little after one in the afternoon, he helped her lug the bags of food and sundries into the house.

  "What time are you off tonight?" he asked when all the bags were inside.

  "I'll be through by ten-thirty."

  "Fine. I'll be waiting for you."

  Before she could even thank him for his help with the groceries, he was out the door.

  It was the same that night. He met her as he'd said he would, walked beside her to her house and then stood on the sidewalk and watched to see that she was safely inside.

  The next night was no different. Olivia began to wonder if she would ever break through the wall of silence he'd thrown up to keep her at a distance.

  On the third night, Thursday, the situation improved a little. But only because a pretty little calico cat that Olivia had recently befriended was waiting on the porch when they arrived.

  "What is that?" Jack surprised her by breaking the silence between them. "You've got a cat now?"

  She jumped at the chance to exchange a few sentences. "No, not really. She's the neighbors' cat. But she comes over sometimes. Just to visit. She's a very social cat."

  He grunted. She could see in his eyes that he was on the verge of leaving again. She cast about frantically for some way to extend this pitiful attempt at conversation.

  "I'll bet you're worried about…" She groped for the name of the tomcat he'd once said hung around the apartment where he lived. It came to her. "Buzz. I'll bet you miss Buzz."

  He actually chuckled at that, though the sound held no humor. "No, Olivia. I do not miss Buzz. And I'll lay you a dime to a dollar that when I get back, Buzz will be long gone."

  "How can you be so sure?"

  "Buzz is an alley cat. He's used to taking life as he finds it. He's not one of those domesticated animals who'll hang around, sad and forlorn, waiting for some human to return."

  Olivia looked at him through the darkness, wondering if he was talking about mo
re than just a cat. "I don't agree," she said. "I have faith in Buzz."

  "You don't even know Buzz." He looked away. "And besides, it's just a cat."

  She dared a knowing grin. "I'll bet he's there waiting at your apartment for you to return."

  Jack made a low, scoffing sound. "It would be a fool's bet. You'd lose."

  Her grin widened. "Fifty bucks says he's there right now."

  Jack groaned. "And how are you going to prove this?"

  She considered. "I'll ask my father to find out. Will you take my father's word?"

  "Olivia, this is stupid. I'm telling you, that cat is history."

  "Fifty bucks, Jack."

  "No."

  "See? You know you'll lose."

  "What do you mean? I'm saving you money."

  "What for? I'm rich, remember?"

  "It's a stupid bet."

  "Then take it. Make an easy fifty."

  "You're asking for it."

  "Good." She lifted her chin. "So give it to me."

  There was a silence. A lengthy one, while all that was unspoken—and forbidden—arced in the cold night air between them.

  "Fine," Jack said at last. "You're on."

  "You'll have to tell me your address."

  He looked at her suspiciously, but then muttered, "Got a pen?"

  She dug one out of her purse and gave it to him. He took a business card from his pocket and scribbled on it, then handed the card and the pen to her. At the bottom, he'd written an address.

  Olivia met Jack's eyes once more. "Good. I'll call my father tomorrow and ask him to check. He'll be here on Saturday. Is that early enough to find out who wins the fifty?"

  "How long will your father be staying?"

  "Till Monday."

  "Then we can settle this harebrained bet Tuesday, when I meet you after work."

  "Tuesday it is, then." She stuck out her hand. He hesitated, but at last he reached out and took it. His grip was warm and firm. Longing filled her. He gave her hand one pump and then dropped it.

  "Good night, Olivia."

  "Goodnight, Jack."

  The next night she told him that she wouldn't be working Saturday.

  "Eden's given me the night off, since my father and Mindy will be here. So you won't need to walk me home."

  "Fine."

  As always, lately, she tried to keep the meager conversation limping along. "I'm looking forward to showing them around."

  He grunted. "And introducing them to all the Joneses, too, I'll bet."

  She nodded. "That, too. Jack?"

  "What?"

  "Tomorrow night, I'm cooking a big dinner. For Mindy and my father and Oggie and Delilah and Sam and Delilah's brothers and their wives. It'll be quite a squeeze in my little house. But Delilah's arranged for me to borrow a couple of folding tables and some chairs from the community church. I'm going to seat everyone in the living room and I, well, I'd really like it if you would come, too."

  His dark eyes were fathoms deep. And very sad. She knew he wanted to go. And that he wouldn't go.

  "No."

  "But Jack…"

  "Thanks for the invitation. But no." He turned and left her there, by her front walk.

  She knew she should call him back and ask him to drive her to Grass Valley again early tomorrow morning to buy the food for the dinner that night. After all, she was not supposed to waste any opportunity to be near him. But she just didn't have the heart to do it, to make him drive her around to get everything for a party he wouldn't be attending. One of the Joneses would take her or lend her a vehicle. All she had to do was ask.

  With a dejected little sigh, she headed for her door.

  Lawrence Larrabee and Mindy Long arrived at eleven Saturday morning, just after Olivia had returned from Grass Valley with the groceries for that night's feast.

  Olivia saw the rental car drive up and jumped from the chair at the window where she'd been watching. She ran out the door and down the front steps with her arms spread wide.

  Her father emerged from behind the wheel. Olivia flung herself against his tall, stooped body. He hugged her tight. She breathed in the reassuring scents that for her had always meant security, the smells of spicy aftershave and wool and the wintergreen mints he favored.

  "It's good to see you, Dad," she whispered into his jacket.

  "Good to be here, Liwy," he whispered back. "Good to be here."

  After a moment she stepped back and wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. And then she turned to Mindy for another hello hug.

  "And what's this?" Olivia asked when she and Mindy broke apart. She lifted Mindy's left hand, on which an engagement diamond gleamed. "It's beautiful." She smiled into Mindy's hazel eyes. "I'm so glad."

  "So are we," her father said, and put his arm around his wife-to-be.

  "When's the big day?"

  "At Christmastime." Mindy smiled fondly up at Lawrence. "Probably during the week before Christmas Day. And then we're flying to Gstaad for an extended stay." Mindy turned to Olivia. "You'll come for the ceremony, won't you?"

  "I wouldn't miss it for anything."

  "Wonderful."

  The two women beamed at each other, then Olivia remembered her manners. "But let's not stand out here all day. Let's get your bags and go on inside."

  Olivia turned to the rental car. A long, pitiful wail came at her from the back seat.

  She saw the animal carrier and stepped back. "Oh, I don't believe it. You found him!"

  "Aside from being half-wild, that cat is not a happy traveler," her father remarked rather grimly. "He yowled through the entire flight. We were smart to take the Cessna. We probably would have been thrown off a commercial flight."

  Olivia was already yanking the door wide so she could peek inside the carrier and see what Buzz looked like.

  A pair of crossed amber eyes stared back at her.

  "Hello, Buzz."

  The cat made a sound that was not quite a growl, but almost.

  "It's so nice to meet you."

  The cat made another unfriendly little noise.

  "Oh, come on, you're going to love it here."

  The cat glared at her and even dared a warning hiss. Olivia shrugged and looked him over.

  He was not an impressive sight. His hair was short and mottled gray. There was so little of it on his head that he really did look like someone had given him a flattop haircut. His face was scarred, one side of his mouth cut so he showed the world a grisly grin. One ear was split, no doubt torn in some long-ago fight. He was scrawny to the point of emaciation.

  "He's the ugliest damn thing I've ever seen," Lawrence remarked from behind her.

  "Shh." Olivia turned and shot her father a chiding frown. "You'll hurt his feelings."

  Lawrence grunted. Buzz let out another long yowl.

  "Let's get the cat—and everything else—inside, shall we?" Mindy suggested.

  Olivia reached for the carrier while her father went around to collect the bags from the trunk.

  They left Buzz in the living room, still in the carrier, while Olivia showed her guests the spare room. She didn't miss the glance they exchanged over the narrowness of the twin beds, but nothing was said. She left them to freshen up.

  While Mindy and Lawrence took turns in the bathroom, Olivia found the bags of cat supplies they had bought and set about making a place for Buzz on the back service porch. Then she took the carrier out there and opened the door. Buzz pressed himself back into the rear of the carrier and hissed.

  "Fine," she told him. "When you're ready, you come on out. But you'll have to stay in the house for a few days, I'm afraid. Until you become acclimated."

  The cat glared at her, a silly-looking glare, since his eyes were crossed. Olivia left him there on the service porch, closing the door to the main part of the house to contain him.

  Once they were settled in, Olivia led her guests on a tour of the town, which took no time at all, since North Magdalene's population was less than two hund
red and fifty, and almost every building of note was on Main Street

  . They had lunch at Lily's Café after the tour and then went back to the house where Olivia began preparations for the dinner party that night.

  All things considered, the party was a great success, though Olivia didn't miss the frantic looks that darted between her father and Mindy when they were first introduced to Oggie Jones. But Olivia had been prepared for that. She kept the champagne flowing.

  By the end of the evening, her father and Oggie had discovered their mutual affection for the verses of Robert Service. They took turns reciting The Cremation of Sam McGee, toasting each other after every line.

  When the party broke up around midnight, Lawrence, who had never been much of a drinker, staggered in and fell across his narrow bed. Mindy helped Olivia to clean up the house.

  Once the dishes were put away, Olivia went out to the service porch to check on Buzz. He wasn't there. She had no idea how he might have escaped, but he was not behind the washer or the dryer, and there was no place else in the small space for him to hide. She and Mindy searched the house, to no avail.

  Then Olivia went outside and called for a while. But there was no sign of the torn. At last she gave up and went in, feeling terrible and trying not to think about mountain lions and bears, doing her best to reassure herself that he would turn up tomorrow.

  The next morning the first thing Olivia did was go outside and call, "Here, kitty, kitty, here Buzz," over and over again.

  But if Buzz heard, he chose not to respond. After fifteen minutes of cat calling, she gave up and turned for the house.

  She was in the kitchen sipping a solitary cup of coffee, castigating herself for shanghaiing poor Buzz from the alleys he called home and dragging him off to the woods where he didn't know his way around, when the phone rang.

  Before she even had time to say hello, Jack's deep voice was grumbling in her ear. "I said your father could check and see if the damn cat was still at my place. I did not say he could bring the cat up here."

  Warmth flooded through her at the sound of his voice … and at what his words meant. "Oh, Jack. You mean Buzz? Buzz is all right?"