[2015] Just the Essentials

by Shari L. Tapscott

  “The water hasn’t been turned on yet,” I explain when nothing happens. “The power either.”

  He turns back and leans against the counter, wiping his hands on his jeans. “What about your phone?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t have any service up here.”

  His lips twitch, attempting to hide a smile, and he points to the dusty, old handheld on the counter. “I meant your phone line.”

  A phone line? How quaint.

  Jack gives me a knowing smile, picks it up, and holds it to his ear. “There’s a dial tone, so it’s on. Let’s go check your breaker box. Do you know where it is?”

  “No.”

  He doesn’t look surprised. I’m not sure whether to be offended or just accept the fact that I’m a mess. He finally locates it on the side of the cabin, near the bathroom window.

  After flipping a few switches, he closes the box. “I think that should take care of your power.”

  Sure enough, when we go back in the cabin, the fluorescent light above the kitchen sink is on.

  “What about the water?” I ask.

  “I can turn it on.” He walks the perimeter of the cabin and then disappears completely. Eventually, he comes back inside. “I can’t find the valve. I’ll have to give George a call.”

  “Who’s George?”

  “He works for the utility company.”

  There’s a chance my bladder might burst, but I attempt a smile. “Can you do that now?”

  Jack examines a piece of trim that’s come away from the wall. “It’s Saturday. I’m afraid you’re out of luck until Monday.”

  I’m going to die. Death by urinary explosion—not a pretty way to go.

  “I…uh…” I clear my throat.

  My cheeks instantly go hot. I can’t believe I’m going to ask him this.

  “I kind of have to use the bathroom…but there’s no water.”

  He glances at me, more amused by the situation than I think is polite. “You’re in the middle of the woods. You could always go hide in the bushes.”

  I bristle and then realize he’s only teasing me again.

  “I have some water in my truck,” he offers.

  Refusing to look at him, I nod. He goes out the door and returns with a large jug. Though I don’t follow him in the bathroom while he pours the water into the tank, I can still hear it. The sound makes it so much worse.

  Jack finally steps out and motions me in. “Nice toilet paper holder.”

  I roll my eyes and brush past him, hoping he’ll go find some way to occupy himself while I’m in here. Just after I shut the bathroom door, the kitchen door opens and closes.

  Thank goodness.

  Even with as badly as I have to go, I don’t know that I could have accomplished it with Jack standing on the other side of the door.

  Finished, I slather my hands with sanitizer. Before I join him outside, I try one last time to make myself presentable. I wish I’d brought my purse in. There is at least a little makeup in there. I flip on the light to get a better look at what I’m working with.

  Bad idea. My reflection cringes back at me. My skin looks pale against my dark hair, and I don’t know how to perk it up without my bronzer and blush. There are dark bags under my eyes from my lack of sleep, and my bangs are smashed into the rest of my hair.

  Resigned that Jack will never want to see me again, I step outside. Much to my delight, he’s knocked down the wasp nest.

  And I can’t help but notice he’s swapped the gun for a tool belt.

  “Well, that’s one thing taken care of.” He smiles, making me a little weak in the knees.

  “Can I use a little more of your water?” I ask. “I’d like to brush my teeth, if that’s all right.”

  His eyes laugh at me again. “I left the jug on the counter for you. I thought you might need it.”

  I can’t think of anything to say, so I mumble, “Oh. Thanks.”

  Before I go back inside, Jack motions to a section of rotting wood. “This deck is a death trap.”

  “I know.” I point to the hole I created. “I almost went down yesterday.”

  Jack examines the broken boards and glances back up. “Who knows what lives under there? It may have carried you away.”

  He has no idea how close to my own thoughts he’s traveled. I don’t enlighten him. Instead, I leave him on the deck and retrieve my bags from the car.

  “I can help you with those.” He reaches in next to me, and as he does, half his chest presses against my back.

  A lady would move out of his way. I only shift a little to give him some room.

  I glance at him. “Once again, the service is excellent.”

  “Like I said—” He hefts a bag on his shoulder. “I aim to please.”

  He probably didn’t mean to say it in my ear, but the tight space makes it inevitable. Butterflies riot in my stomach. I lose my nerve and step away, letting him by.

  Jack carries the suitcase up the stairs. “Where do you want this?”

  “Can you just take it all to the bathroom for now?”

  He gives me a funny look but doesn’t question me. Allowing me in first, he opens the front door.

  “I’ll be right back.” I stop in the kitchen to grab the water jug and then disappear in the bathroom.

  Once I emerge, I feel about fifty percent better. The other fifty percent could only be achieved with a shower, and I guess I’m out of luck until Monday. Thank goodness for dry shampoo.

  I find Jack examining more of the deck. When he looks up, I expect him to comment on how long it took me to “brush my teeth” as Hudson would have. He doesn’t.

  “Most of these boards are fine, and I can replace the rotted ones,” he says. “Eventually, it will need to be completely redone, but for now, I think that will be sufficient.”

  It sounds good to me. I’m sure Dad doesn’t want to pay for a whole new deck, and I’m not ready to brave whatever lives underneath.

  “And the roof needs help,” he says. “Other than a few other small things, that’s all I really see.”

  “What about the heat? It wasn’t working last night.”

  He glances at the cabin as if it holds the answer to my question. “I’m pretty sure your only heat source is the fireplace.”

  I stare at him. Surely that can’t be right.

  “At least it’s summer,” he supplies. “I checked all the lights. You need a new switch in one of the bedrooms, and it would be a good idea to get that screen on the chimney. I’ll talk to your dad about the rest.”

  Suddenly, the weight of my task presses down on me. How am I going to stay here when it’s like this?

  “I can pick up everything you need in Silverton,” he says. Then, apparently taking pity on me, he adds, “How about you come with me?”

  Chapter Six

  Does Jack mean he wants me to follow him in my car? Or am I supposed to ride in his truck? What if I go to his truck and he meant me to follow?

  I will look like an idiot.

  And worse, he might not say anything about it to be gentlemanly. Not that Jack fits my definition of a gentleman. In fact, he more fits the profile of a heartbreaker.

  How many girls has he charmed on their summer vacations just to crush them when they leave?

  That’s right. This one’s dangerous.

  He’s all smiles and “yes, ma’ams,” but I’ll bet he’s got a trail of broken hearts lined out behind him.

  Jack’s smile falters. “If you want to, that is.”

  “Sure.”

  I’m a big girl. I can protect myself from burly lumberjack wannabes—even ones with green and gold eyes. And killer smirks.

  Besides, I’m going to call Hudson today, aren’t I? Jack’s not dangerous; he’s a diversion.

  A pleasant diversion.

  Heading to his truck, he says, “I’ll shove some stuff over.”

  Well, all right then, that solves one problem.

  He moves another toolbox and tosses
a few jackets in the backseat. For one fleeting moment, I wonder what Hudson would think of me riding in Jack’s truck. He’d probably be appalled.

  A devious little thrill runs through me, and I smile as I crawl in. It’s certainly the tallest vehicle I’ve ever ridden in.

  Jack steps into the driver’s seat like the height is nothing. He glances over and finds me fighting with the buckle.

  “It sticks. You have to really push it.” He reaches over, gives the seatbelt latch a hard shove and then looks up, grinning. “I’ve been meaning to replace it.”

  My breath catches when I meet his eyes. Chickening out, I look away first. My gaze lands on a pink baseball cap that’s been shoved under the seat.

  Jack’s eyes follow mine.

  “It’s my sister’s,” he explains.

  Sure it is.

  It doesn’t matter. My future is with Hudson.

  Still—now that I think about it—it was probably kind of stupid to hop in his truck. I hardly know him. If I were a girl in one of my stories, Jack would definitely end up being a—

  “Hey.” That smirk plays at his mouth as he drives down the bumpy road. “I’m not going to kidnap you or anything.”

  Surprised, I look at him, my mouth dropping open.

  Looking over, Jack laughs, his eyes creased with amusement. “You have a horrible look on your face.”

  My cheeks grow warm again. I don’t think I’ve blushed this much since middle school.

  “I have a slightly overactive imagination,” I mumble.

  He looks forward and grins. “I figured that when I saw you armed with the lug wrench this morning.”

  “Last night was a little rough.”

  “That’s understandable with all the utilities turned off.”

  “I slept in my car,” I admit.

  Shaking his head, he says, “Your dad said you’re from Denver and that the cabin belonged to your grandparents?”

  “We used to come here every summer before my grandma passed away.”

  “So you’re here to get it ready to sell?”

  “Yeah.”

  I watch, distracted, as he moves the gearstick.

  We turn onto the main road, and he glances over again. “We’ll get the cabin all patched up. I’ll take good care of you.”

  My mind runs wild with that little sentiment, and I clamp back a giggle. Pretending nonchalance, I look at him and force a friendly smile.

  In a few minutes, we reach the hardware store. Jack calls a greeting to the man behind the counter and walks in like he owns the place.

  “Well, we know you have enough cleaning supplies,” Jack teases as we browse the shelves. He chooses a screen for the chimney. “But you should make a list of everything else you need to get.”

  “Other than food, I don’t know yet.”

  He pays for our purchase after explaining Dad will reimburse him, and we step into the sunshine. Not frazzled from traveling Red Mountain today, I take a better look around. The mountains are incredible. They’re jagged and untouched. Pristine.

  “Groceries are cheaper in Durango,” Jack informs me. “If you want to buy in bulk, you can drive to Grand Junction.”

  “My aunt lives there.”

  “Is she from the same side of the family that owns the cabin?”

  We walk down the street, no real destination in mind. “No, she’s my dad’s sister. My mom and dad lived next door to each other growing up. They’re all really close. Mom’s an only child, so Diane was almost her sister before she actually was.”

  “You gonna visit her while you’re here?”

  When I think of the mountain pass, I cringe. “I doubt it.”

  He studies me for a moment. “You know, I have to go down in a couple weeks. You can come if you want.”

  I open my mouth to say I’ll think about it, but then I stop. I’m supposed to be together with Hudson by then. Right?

  “Um, Jack.”

  I don’t want to make things awkward. I’m sure there were no romantic overtones in his offer, but I need to be clear.

  “I’m kind of seeing someone right now.”

  He doesn’t jump right in with the I didn’t mean it that way clarification speech but instead stops in the street and cocks his head slightly. “Kind of?”

  “We broke up.” I stumble over my words when a ghost of a smile starts in his eyes. “But it was mostly my fault, and I—I mean, we were together for three years. You know?”

  “Who did the breaking up?”

  “First he broke up with me. Then he wanted to get back together, and I said no. But the whole thing was my fault to begin with, so…”

  “Why?”

  “He wanted a little more than I was willing to give.”

  Let’s see him back away quickly at that.

  “If you know what I mean…” I pause when he quirks an eyebrow.

  Why did I bring this up?

  Losing my nerve, I say in a rush, “You probably think I’m ridiculous, right?”

  Oh, shut up, Kinsley. Oddly when I think it, it’s Ginger’s voice in my ear.

  Jack smiles. It’s not his smirk or his amused look, it’s just a nice, warm smile.

  “No, Kinsley. That’s not ridiculous.” He nods down the street. “You up for some ice cream?”

  We drive back to the campground while making casual small talk. Jack has to make a stop at the lodge, and I go in with him. I won’t lie; riding around in his truck makes the whole outing feel a little date-like.

  Jack opens the door, and the instant I walk through it, the smell of coffee beckons to me like a siren’s call.

  I zero in on the coffee bar in the corner. It’s about five o’clock—almost dinner time—and the bar is deserted. Two teenage girls giggle at each other when they spot Jack.

  Though we are certainly not on a date, I’m startled by a twang of jealousy.

  Jack slaps the pink ball cap on the counter and slides it over. “Shannon, stop leaving your stuff in my truck.”

  The girl grins and slips the hat on her head, pulling her hair through the loop to make a ponytail.

  Jack turns to me. “These are my sisters, Agnes and Shannon.” He looks at the girls. “This is Kinsley.”

  They stare back at me with curious eyes. The girls are twins, and for a moment, I feel oddly outnumbered. Up close, there is no doubt these two are related to Jack. They have the same eyes, the same hair color.

  “Are you guys still open?” I ask.

  I’m stuffed on mint chocolate chip, but I haven’t had coffee all day.

  Agnes nods. “What do you want?”

  “Just coffee. I don’t have a coffeemaker yet.”

  But I do have a campfire espresso maker. Now there’s some mighty fine planning.

  “Get whatever you want. You city girls like fussy coffee, don’t you?” Jack leans a hip against the counter—I’m starting to recognize it as his “act-casual” go-to move. “The girls aren’t good for much, but they make a good cup of coffee.”

  He ducks when Shannon whips her hat off and smacks him over the head with it. They all laugh, and I’m hit with a strong wave of homesickness.

  Of course I miss Liv, but who would have thought I’d miss Ginger?

  “A plain latte?” I ask.

  Agnes makes a disgusted noise. “I can do better than that.”

  Leaning on the counter, I watch as she whips up her concoction. She finishes it off with a generous swirl of whipped cream and a drizzle of both caramel and chocolate.

  “Excuse me, honey,” a chirpy voice says from behind me. “Have you already ordered?”

  I jump out of the way, surprised to hear a heavy southern accent here in Colorado. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…Hudson?”

  My ex-boyfriend looks just as surprised to see me as I am him. Which is laughable, because he’s the one with a blond clinging to him like a pocket pet.

  She’s the one the voice belongs to.

  “Do ya’ll know each other?” Miss Perky say
s, her tone delighted.

  “I…uh…” I can’t take my eyes off him.

  “What are you doing here, Kinsley?” Hudson’s voice is sharp, and I step back.

  I look from him to her and back again. “Me? What are you doing here?”

  “I booked a room for the summer. You know that.” As an afterthought, he adds, “Oh, this is Amber.”

  “Isn’t it just so romantic here in the mountains?” She leans against Hudson and actually lifts her foot off the ground. “But, gosh, that mountain was terrifying!”

  “You knew I would be here,” I hiss as soon as the situation sinks in. “Hudson!”

  Amber’s eyes go big, and she looks back and forth between us.

  “I didn’t think you’d actually go through with it.” Hudson leans a fraction closer, half pushing Amber aside. “It’s completely out of character for you, Kinsley.”

  I ignore him and fake a smile for Amber. “Isn’t this just fun! How long have you and Hudson been dating?”

  She blinks and her smile dims. “Are you—”

  “No.” I wave my hand. “Hudson and I dated for a while, but we are over.” I glare at Hudson even as I fake a smile. “Over, over, over.”

  Dredging up an Academy-Award-winning look of interest, I turn back to her. “All water under the bridge. So go ahead. I want to hear your story.”

  Hudson shakes his head, “Amber—”

  I must be pretty convincing because she says, giggling, “Oh, hush! It’s just a little girl talk.” She turns back to me. “I work in his office. We share a secretary, and you know how the office is. We flirted back and forth for a while, had a few drinks after work—got a little too tipsy one night, in fact. But I thought he was datin’ someone. Imagine my surprise when he asked me away for the summer!”

  My stomach lurches at her words, but I laugh, hoping no one can tell how close it is to a sob.

  “Just imagine!” I say.

  Hudson rubs his hand over his face, obviously wishing he could sink into the floor. “Kinsley, listen—”

  Jack steps behind me. His chest presses firmly against my back, and his hand brushes mine on the counter.

  Hudson narrows his eyes. “I’m sorry…who are you?”