Angel of Smoky Hollow

by Barbara McMahon

  But he was too wise in the ways of women to get hooked. She’d stay a few weeks and then be gone. Might even be a shorter visit once she realized how little there was to do in Smoky Hollow compared to New York City.

  “Have you always lived here in Smoky Hollow?” she asked, mimicking him, stretching out her feet toward the fire, leaning against the sofa front. Keeping herself busy asking him questions took her mind off the memory of his lips brushing against her fingertips.

  “Did a stint in the army.” He tapped his left ear. “That’s how I lost hearing in this ear, mortar fire. Don’t hear that much from the right either.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t imagine not hearing.”

  “I got used to it. When my tour of duty was over, I set out to see America.”

  “And did you?”

  “Oh, yeah.” He told her about starting in New York and doing all the sights tourists did. Gradually he moved north, west, south, taking his time and going places he’d always heard about and wanted to see. Picking up construction work was easy. Working with locals helped him really know people who lived in a community. One summer he’d swung through parts of British Columbia and Alberta, dropping down to Montana and continuing his travels.

  Angelica listened to Kirk and envy rose sharply within. He’d done so much in just a few years. She’d done so little. The places came alive when he told her of his exploits. Was it the tradition of the hills of Kentucky or was he just a gifted storyteller? She laughed at his story of the shock of cold water when he went swimming in Yosemite. Caught her breath when he described the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. Wistfully wished she could have seen whales off the coast of British Columbia.

  From time to time Kirk tossed another log on the fire, then resumed his place next to her and continued talking when she prompted with another question. Angelica knew she could listen to him all night. His deep voice resonated within her, his slow drawl had her relaxing and enjoying the evening. She had nothing else to do. It was wonderful.

  “It’s different for a guy. You can go wherever, work some odd jobs, move on. I only know how to play the violin,” she said at one point.

  “You don’t strike me as the nomad type,” he said.

  “Who knows what type I am? I’ve been stuck in the same rut since I was six!”

  “Past time you broke out, then.”

  “Yes, like to the wilds of Kentucky.”

  Kirk laughed.

  “It’s not really funny. This is so different for me. I want to see new places, try new things. Have something different in my life! This is very different from New York.”

  “Okay, maybe fate had a reason for sending you here.” He gazed at the fire for a moment. Then glanced at her. “Until Webb Francis is up and around, I’ll show you something of the wilds of Kentucky. You can learn to make a fire without matches, hike a trail, catch a fish. Bet you’ve never been to a county fair. We can go. And you can join in the music festival. Play something other than classical music. Really bust out.”

  “With my fiddle,” Angelica said, feeling a sense of elation. “Would you really take me hiking and to a county fair?” He had seemed unhappy with Webb Francis’s suggestion he look out for her. Why the change of heart?

  “Sure, why not?” He reached out and took her hand. Once again Angelica felt the jolt of electricity, but this time she gripped his back, holding on and savoring the sensations. He rested the back of her hand against one thigh and smiled.

  “I thought you didn’t like me,” she said.

  He grinned. “Jury’s still out on that one, babe. But maybe I was hasty in making a judgement. Let’s see what you’ve got going for you.”

  She considered what he said. “Deal. What do you get in return?”

  “A fun summer?”

  “Don’t you have to work?”

  “I’m helping out at the Coopers’ barn raising.”

  “It almost sounds as if you’re doing the Coopers a favor helping build their barn. Are you independently wealthy?”

  He grinned again, his eyes dancing. Angelica felt her heart race. The man was too potent for her. Could she really spend the summer learning more about the mountains of Kentucky and spending time with this man and not have her heart smashed to smithereens when she left? She had no experience beyond casual flirting. Could she resist Kirk’s charm, learn about the community and return to New York in September glad for the break, refreshed, and not involved with Kirk Devon?

  If she had any sense, she’d run the other way.

  Yet his offer was tempting.

  “Are you?” he countered.

  “I have enough money saved to take time off for this.”

  “Don’t worry, I have enough, too.”

  He paused, and their gazes met and held. It seemed as if he was leaning closer and closer and her heart beat frantically in her chest—

  Then the lights came on in the kitchen.

  “Power’s back,” he said, jumping backwards and glancing over at the lights.

  “I should be going home. It’s late.” The time had flown by. She couldn’t remember when she’d enjoyed an evening so much—and all they did was talk. And hold hands. Reluctantly she slid hers from beneath his and scrambled to get up.

  “I’ll walk you home.”

  He rose easily to his feet. They stood so close she could see the fine lines around his eyes, feel the soft brush of his breath across her cheeks.

  “Thank you for dinner,” she said politely.

  “You can repay the favor sometime,” he said casually.

  In only a few minutes, Angelica closed the door to the cottage and leaned against it. She had halfway hoped he’d kiss her good night. Which was idiotic. He’d outright admitted he wasn’t sure if he even liked her. Why would he want to kiss her?

  She knew why she wanted to kiss him. It would be amazing. Her heart pounded just thinking about it. And her hand still held the warmth from his.

  Tomorrow—she’d see him again tomorrow. Would they go hiking? She needed time to get back to the library and listen to more CDs. And Sam was coming over again in the afternoon for another practice session. Two days in town and already she had a full agenda. She grinned as she walked back to the bedroom.

  It was after ten the next morning when Angelica gave up on Kirk and walked to the library. She’d risen early, eaten quickly and sat with an ear to the door expecting him to come over. He’d said he’d show her around. But they’d made no firm plans. Maybe he had merely been being polite. Twice she rose and went to the window in the music room that faced Kirk’s house. She saw no signs of activity. Had he gone to work on that barn? He seemed to exist without a source of income, but maybe that was for show. He had to work every day like most people. Smoky Hollow didn’t look like it sported a lot of millionaires.

  When she reached the library, Mary Margaret was sitting behind the desk and greeted her warmly.

  “I thought you’d be back this morning, what with the power knocking off all the recorders yesterday. I’m sure you didn’t hear enough. Do you need any help finding anything?”

  “I’m not really looking for anything special. I want an overview and choosing the CDs randomly seems to give me that,” Angelica said. She glanced behind her through the double doors. No sign of Kirk. She was acting like a school girl with a crush, hoping to catch a glimpse of a special guy. Raising her chin slightly, she headed back to the media room. She had better things to do than moon over some sexy man who was only showing her around because of a promise to his friend.

  Two hours later, while changing one CD for another, Angelica heard Kirk’s voice in the main room of the library. She took a breath, held it, trying to quell instantly clamoring nerves. Would he come back here? Was he looking for her? She strained to hear what he and Mary Margaret were saying.

  She heard his footsteps. He stepped into the doorway and she looked up, immediately aware of every inch of the man. His wide shoulders leaned casually against one side of the
door frame. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her, his dark eyes focused solely on her.

  “Finished?” he asked, taking note of her replacing a CD in its case.

  “I’ve been listening for a couple of hours. I’m not finished. It’s fascinating. I love the rhythm of the songs. And the words are funny sometimes.”

  “Take a break. We’ll go for lunch.”

  “I’m working with Sam this afternoon around three,” she said, longing to ditch the library and go wherever he asked. What about her vow to resist temptation?

  “We’ll be back by then. I picked up lunch from the store. Bella makes a great picnic basket.”

  “Are we taking your motorcycle?” she asked.

  “Nope, walking. Come on. Best time of day.” He turned.

  So sure of her, she thought, following along. She had to admit to being intrigued.

  As soon as they left the library, Kirk picked up a basket sitting near the door. He nodded toward the left and they walked a short distance, then he turned and began following a well-worn path that led into the shady area of the woods that grew up right next to the town.

  It became cooler once sheltered from the sun. Dappled spots of sunshine moved as the leaves responded to the light breeze. It was hushed in the woods, only the sound of their footsteps and birds singing in the distance. A few puddles were visible from yesterday’s storm, but the ground underfoot was packed and dry.

  Angelica was enchanted. She followed, not talking. Sometimes she watched Kirk as he took long strides and seemed to be part of the nature they invaded. He was comfortable in this environment. She watched the path, lifted her gaze to the leafy roof over their heads, took a breath of the fragrant air. The trilling of the birds could almost be set to music, she thought, hurrying to keep up with him.

  The path was well defined. She wouldn’t get lost even if he went ahead. She wondered about the early settlers to this area. If the trees had always grown so close together, so thick, it was a wonder anyone had carved out a place in Kentucky.

  When she heard the gurgling of a brook, she searched ahead of them. It had to be close, and it sounded lovely. Two minutes later they stepped into a wide clearing where a rock-strewn brook roughly cut the space in half. The water splashed against and over the small stones and rocks, twisting almost back on itself once, and then headed straight down into the trees.

  “This is magical,” she said, taking in the pretty clearing. Sunshine kissed the grass beneath the opening in the trees. The water gave a tireless melody. The bird song topped it off. “Can you hear the water?”

  “When I’m this close I can. I remember as a kid hearing it long before I reached the opening.”

  “Why aren’t trees growing here?”

  He put down the basket, opened it and brought out a red-and-white checked tablecloth. Shaking it out to spread on the ground, he said, “No one knows. But as long as I’ve been coming here it’s been open like this. Almost as if there’s something in the soil toxic to trees. Yet there’s other vegetation growing, so it’s not sterile soil.”

  Angelica knelt down on the edge of the cloth as he began unpacking the lunch. Cold fried chicken, buttered rolls, potato salad, and iced drinks. In no time she was enjoying the meal as much as she enjoyed the setting.

  He didn’t talk and neither did she. Her gaze darted around as she memorized the place. Closing her eyes once, she tried to imprint the sound of the brook and the rustle of the leaves and the bird song forever on her memory. Would she be able to recall this special moment when she was stomping through the slushy New York winters?

  “Very nice,” she said when she opened her eyes. Kirk leaned back on one elbow and studied the stream.

  “I thought you’d like it.”

  “Do you come often?” She leaned back on one hand, staring at the brook. The water glinted in the sunshine, the pleasing sound soothing. Now that she’d eaten, she could almost take a nap.

  “Haven’t lately. It’s not exactly a place to come alone. I eat at home.”

  “Thank you for bringing me, it’s lovely.”

  “In a while, we can hike upstream a bit. About a mile farther is a waterfall which dumps into a swimming hole. We could go swimming, it’s hot enough.”

  “I don’t have a suit,” she said.

  “Me either, so?”

  Angelica looked at him. The teasing light in his eyes gave him away. She swallowed and shook her head. He laughed.

  The image of the two of them swimming without a stitch on wouldn’t leave. She had never been skinny-dipping. But she’d bet lunch that Kirk had more than once. Who with, she wondered? Girlfriends from high school? Was there a special woman in his life now? Probably not or he’d not be so available. Were the women in Smoky Hollow blind?

  They left the picnic basket at the edge of the clearing. Kirk said it would be safe, and there was no reason to carry it up and back. The stream meandered. The path along side was not as well defined as the one from town to the clearing had been. Sometimes they stepped over exposed roots of trees, around clumps of ferns. Once they crossed on stepping stones. Angelica wished she’d brought a camera. She’d never expected to be hopping from rock to rock to get across some stream of water when she awoke that morning. She laughed and Kirk turned to look at her.

  “This is so different from New York City,” she explained.

  “Better.”

  She nodded, scrambling to catch up. He seemed to walk along at the same pace no matter what the terrain. She was a bit out of breath keeping up with him. And while the path was primarily in shade, it was still growing warmer by the minute.

  “We’ll be there soon,” he said, turning and heading on again.

  When they reached the pool, Angelica almost suggested they follow his original idea and plunge in. She was hot and out of breath. The water looked cool and inviting. The waterfall was a three-foot-tall curtain spilling over a wide lip of rock. She’d love to swim beneath it and have it rain down on her.

  “Is it deep?” she asked. The water was so clear she could see the rocky bottom. It didn’t look deep.

  “About four or five feet. Very deep when one is Sam’s age. Not so much now. But it’s refreshing.” He stopped by the edge and trailed his hands in it. Then he flicked her with water.

  Surprised, she leaned over and slapped a wave of water at him. Only a little reached her target. She danced away when he splashed her again. Laughing, she wished she could douse him.

  He cupped water in his hands and started for her, devilment in his eyes. Angelica shrieked and turned to run. A second later her entire back was wet. She laughed again and turned.

  “No fair, you have the advantage,” she said, when he turned to get more water. She did not have clear access to the pond. Darting to the left, she tried to go wide, but he turned and threw water at her again.

  Laughing so hard she almost fell, she reached the edge of the water. Ignoring her shoes, she waded in and began splashing water at him. He joined in and before five minutes passed they were both soaked.

  Angelica plopped down at the edge of the water and just let Kirk’s attack wash over her. She felt deliciously cool in the hot afternoon. She’d squish all the way home, but for now it felt marvelous.

  A minute later another wave of water washed over her as he sat right down beside her on her left.

  His dark hair glistened with water. Drops clung to his eyelashes. “Now do you want to go skinny-dipping?”

  “No need, I’m soaked.” She glanced at him from beneath her own damp lashes. “Next time I’ll bring a bathing suit.” She’d have to buy one as she hadn’t brought one. Did the local store carry any? Maybe she’d need a ride to Bryceville.

  “Spoilsport,” he said easily.

  “You must have had a great childhood,” she said looking around and imagining Kirk and his friends roaming wherever they wished, safe and happy and free.

  “Sure did.”

  “Are you an only child?”


  “Only child of an only child of an only child,” he said.

  “So no cousins to play with.”

  “Plenty of others around.”

  “Do your parents live in Smoky Hollow?”

  “There’s only my granddad. He’s still here. He raised me.”

  Angelica swished her hands through the water, letting the cool liquid drip when she raised her palms. She remembered that’s what the store owner had said.

  “I should get home. I’ll need to change before Sam comes,” she said slowly. She looked at Kirk. “Thanks for the picnic and bringing me here. This is such a lovely place.”

  He nodded in acknowledgment, then leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. It was a momentary touch which was over far, far too soon in Angelica’s opinion. She felt an explosion of feelings, indescribably exquisite, with just that brief contact.

  Without a word, he rose and offered his hand to pull her up. His touch seemed electric. Water streamed from them both as she snatched her hand back and looked everywhere except at him. He kissed her! Her heart pounded. She wanted to touch her lips with her fingers, stop a moment and savor the feelings that roiled inside.

  Instead, she turned and stepped out of the water, her shoes squishing. She knew she would be uncomfortable all the way home. But that didn’t even faze her. It was the second of his kiss that dominated her mind.

  She didn’t know how to react. Should she say something? Ignore it. Laugh it off. Her back to Kirk, she wrung water from her shirt, pulling it away from her body. Her pants were dripping at every step, her shoes dribbling water as she walked.

  Taking a breath, she turned. Kirk had taken off his shirt and was wringing it out. She almost caught her breath at his masculine beauty. She knew his shoulders were broad and muscular. He looked like some kind of perfect male form that artists would long to paint. His skin was tanned and taut over muscles in his chest and flat stomach. She was mesmerized. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen men in swimming trunks or something, but none she could remember looked like Kirk.