by Leigh Bale
“I came here to be alone,” he said.
Katie’s face stiffened and he realized he’d said the wrong thing.
“That suits me just fine. We can leave you alone. But I do have a couple of requests,” she said.
“And what is that?” he asked.
“That you meet with Chrissy and spend a little time with her before you leave town again. I’d like all three of us to sit down together so you and I can explain to her that you’re her father. I’d also like to have a picture of you two taken together. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just something that Chrissy can keep, to remember you by once you’re gone. Can you do that without upsetting her?”
The hackles rose at the nape of his neck. Katie’s words were insulting, but he didn’t bite back. In dealing with his drunken father, he’d learned to hold his tongue and keep his thoughts to himself. Otherwise, he might find himself knocked across the room. Right now, Reese felt confused. He needed time to think about this. To plan and consider what he should do.
“Of course I can do that,” he said.
She opened the door and got out. “Good. Now, let me show you the cabin. Then I better get home.”
That was it? Somehow, he expected more. He had a child. Another person who was a part of him. His flesh and blood. He couldn’t help feeling curious and intrigued, not fully understanding what it meant.
He got out of the vehicle. Shouldering his bag, he followed Katie up the rock path leading to the front door. The tall pine trees overhead swayed gently in the afternoon breeze. Looking about, he took in the litter of enormous pinecones and needles covering the front yard, along with several dead bushes. A huge fire hazard. Experienced as he was, Reese knew this property needed fifty feet of defensible space around it to ward off a forest fire. Maybe he could do something about that while he stayed here.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was right behind her, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim interior. Katie opened the curtains at the windows, letting sunshine permeate the wide room.
A kitchen area with an old wood cookstove, a sink and cupboards sat in one corner, with a rustic table and chairs for eating meals. On the other side of the room, a simple rock fireplace filled one wall, with a sofa perched in front of it, along with two recliners and a coffee table nearby. An afghan and several throw pillows decorated the furnishings, along with battery-operated lamps sitting on the side tables. Pictures of mule deer hung on the walls. On one shelf, a pile of board games and books offered entertainment to anyone who was interested.
Reese’s gaze swept over the cozy space and screeched to a halt when he saw several small framed pictures of Chrissy with her mom and grandparents. They were fishing together, laughing, having fun as a family. And once again he felt as though he didn’t belong here. Yet something inside him wished that he could be a part of it all. But he wasn’t. He’d fathered Chrissy and nothing more.
“There’s no electricity or running water, so you’ll have to rough it,” Katie said. “There are plenty of gallon jugs of fresh water in the kitchen cupboards, for drinking and washing. The privy is out back. We’ve got extra batteries for the lights in the cabinet over there.” She pointed at two battery-operated lanterns sitting on windowsills and jutted her chin toward a set of drawers.
Reese nodded, immune to the rural conditions. As a hotshot, he was well versed on roughing it. No big deal.
“This is more than I expected. Thank you,” he said.
“There should be clean dishes and something to eat in here. There’s wood out back for the cookstove.” Katie walked into the kitchen area and rummaged around in the cupboards. She pulled out several cans and an opener and set them on the counter. Soup and some kind of vegetable.
“That will be fine,” he said.
He was coasting on autopilot but felt as though he was lost in a fog. He still couldn’t get past the news that he had a daughter, and he wondered how Katie could act so normal. And yet he detected the tension in her shoulders. She was angry with him.
“We’ll bring you some more supplies tomorrow. Do you think you’ll be okay until then?” she asked.
He nodded as he stepped over to the doorways leading to the two bedrooms. “Yes, I’ll be fine.”
He peered inside the first room, noticing the comfortable double bed with a handmade quilt, the pillows and the chest of drawers. Outside the window, he heard the ragged call of a blue jay. The peace and calm was exactly what he was after, and yet there was no peace in his heart.
“Remember, Mrs. Murdoch lives a quarter of a mile down the road, if you have an emergency,” Katie said.
He nodded again, not knowing what else to say. He doubted Mrs. Murdoch would be too friendly. Not when she recalled that he and his friends had broken the taillights out of her husband’s truck years earlier.
“Well, I better be going,” Katie said, edging toward the open door. She glanced outside, as though desperate to flee.
“We’ll talk some more tomorrow,” he said, knowing he’d have more questions by then.
“Yeah, tomorrow,” she agreed.
And then she was gone. He stood where he was, listening as she opened and slammed the door to her truck, then turned on the engine. The crackling of gravel beneath the tires told him that she was pulling out of the driveway. For one insane moment, he almost ran outside to call her back. To ask her to tell him more about Chrissy and her life here in town.
He resisted the urge. Right now, he needed time to think. To figure out what had happened to his life and if he wanted to fit into Chrissy’s. Reese realized that he couldn’t have a relationship with his daughter without going through Katie. The woman seemed to hate him, which bothered him for some odd reason. Normally, he didn’t care what other people thought, especially not a girl from his past. But he did now. And looking around him, he’d never felt more alone in all his life.
Chapter Four
“There’s Reese.” Chrissy pointed out the window as Katie pulled into the driveway at the cabin the following morning.
The little girl clawed at the belt buckle on her booster seat before Katie could even shut off the truck engine.
“Chrissy, wait,” she called.
The child didn’t listen. She threw open the door and jumped down, then sprinted toward Reese. He stood in the yard, leaning against the long handle of a rake. With a glance, Katie took in his leather work gloves, faded blue jeans and the navy T-shirt that hugged every muscle of his chest and arms. Several tidy piles of pine needles, cones and dead bushes dotted the yard. Since yesterday afternoon, it appeared that he’d kept himself busy.
His gaze followed Chrissy as she raced toward him, crying his name. Then his eyes met Katie’s, and her senses went on high alert. She watched his reactions like a mother hen, curious to see how he treated their daughter.
As she climbed out of the truck and headed over to join them, she heard Reese’s greeting. “Hi, Chrissy. How are you?”
“I’m fine,” the girl trilled in a happy voice.
Without being invited, she hugged Reese’s long legs with open affection. Reese’s face flooded with color, but Katie had to give him credit. He reached down and patted the child’s shoulder in an awkward gesture that said he wasn’t sure what else to do. And knowing how badly her daughter craved the attention of a father in her life, his actions brought tears to Katie’s eyes.
“Look what I made at kindergarten.” Chrissy held up a round, palm-sized object painted yellow, with a black grinning face.
Reese smiled and lines creased the corners of his eyes. Eyes that seemed so sad and guarded. “That’s nice. What is it?”
“My pet rock,” Chrissy said, as though it was obvious.
“Oh.” Reese floundered, looking rather sheepish.
“I named it Emily. Teacher says whenever I’m feeling lonely, I can talk to Emily,” she said
. “But I know it isn’t a real person. It’s just a rock. And it’s not as fun to talk to as Papa Charlie.”
“I see.” He nodded and his eyes sparkled, as though he was enchanted by the bubbly girl.
“I’d rather have a puppy or a kitten to talk to,” Chrissy continued. “But Mommy says pets are a lot of work, they’re expensive to feed and they make messes. Papa says he’ll think about it, maybe for Christmas. He says it would be good to have a guard dog at the motel, but he’s not sure he wants to potty train one. But that’s what I really want.”
“Yeah, um, dogs are nice. I had one when I was a kid.” Reese blinked, looking slightly dazed by this conversation.
“You did? What was its name?”
“Duke,” Reese responded.
“What happened to him?” Chrissy asked.
“He died when I was fourteen.”
The girl’s mouth quivered slightly. “Why?”
Reese gave a half laugh. “He got old, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart.
Hearing Reese call her daughter that name did something to Katie. She felt territorial and possessive and didn’t understand why.
“I wouldn’t mind having a kitty with yellow and white stripes,” Chrissy said.
“Yellow and white, huh? Well, maybe that’s what you’ll get for Christmas,” he said.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Katie interjected gently. “You’re gonna hug the stuffing out of Reese.”
She didn’t want Chrissy to overwhelm the guy. She tugged on her daughter’s shoulders, pulling her back for a quick hug of her own.
Reese met Katie’s eyes. For just a moment, she saw a bit of panic written across his face. As though he didn’t know how to act. Then it was gone and she thought perhaps she’d imagined it. Katie couldn’t help feeling some compassion for him. But just a little.
The sound of an engine coming into the yard caused Katie to turn. Her dad parked his blue truck behind her vehicle and climbed out with his cane. In addition to these two trucks, Katie and her father owned a car, which she usually drove around town to get to work at her job at the newspaper office and to run errands.
“Hi, Reese. Did you have a good night?” Charlie called.
“I did, thank you. It’s real quiet up here.” Reese gave a half-hearted wave.
“Yeah, I sleep like a rock when we stay up here. It looks like you’ve been doing some yard work.” Charlie jutted his chin toward the tidy piles of debris that Reese had raked up.
He shrugged. “It’s the least I can do to repay you for letting me stay here. It’s good to clear the area around your property, in case there’s a wildfire.”
“That’s kind of you. I’ve been meaning to get up here and take care of it, but the motel keeps me pretty busy. Seems like there’s always a clogged toilet or other repair needing to be done. Right now, I’m getting ready to fix the roof on the shed. If we get a rainstorm, it’ll soak everything inside.” Charlie chuckled.
“Dad, I told you I don’t want you climbing up on that roof,” Katie objected. “You just had hip replacement surgery four months ago.”
“Maybe I can help you with that,” Reese said.
“No need. I can do it,” Charlie said.
“Dad...” Katie began. But she wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t want her father up on ladders, but neither did she want Reese hanging around the motel more than necessary.
“It’d be my pleasure. Staying busy helps take my mind off things.” Reese didn’t elaborate on what those things were, but Katie knew.
Hmm. She didn’t remember Reese ever helping out when he was young. Cleaning up the yard here had been a chore that kept nagging at her. It was kind of Reese to take care of it for them, but that didn’t mean she’d forgiven him.
“Are you settled in?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah. It’s beautiful here. Last night was the first time I’ve slept through since...” His words trailed off, his eyes suddenly filled with a sad, vacant look.
Katie knew what he’d been about to say. He hadn’t slept through the night since he’d lost his crew. She wondered if nightmares haunted him. She’d heard stories about men and women going into combat and returning with post-traumatic stress disorder. From what she knew, fighting walls of flames could be just like going to war. The adrenaline. The fear. She hoped Reese wasn’t suffering from PTSD but then reminded herself that it wasn’t her business. She shouldn’t care.
But she did.
“What’s with the two vehicles?” Reese gestured toward the driveway.
Charlie reached into the back of his truck and hefted a cardboard box. “I have two trucks. You can borrow my old wood truck while you’re staying here. It isn’t much. I only use it to go up into the mountains and cut firewood for our stove at the motel. Tossing chunks of wood into the back causes a lot of scratches and dents and I don’t want to mar my newer vehicle. The wood truck isn’t pretty, but it runs well.”
“Oh.” Reese frowned in confusion. “You didn’t need to do that. I can get around well enough. I’m in pretty good shape and enjoy walking.”
“Nonsense. You can’t walk all the way into town. It’d take you hours. We don’t want you stuck out here all alone, especially if some reporters show up. Katie and Chrissy will ride back home with me when we leave. You’ll use the wood truck as long as you’re here.” It wasn’t a question, and there was a note of finality in Charlie’s voice.
“Okay, thanks. Can I help you with that?” Reese reached for the box, but Charlie waved him off.
“Nah, I got it. We brought you some food supplies, too.” Using his cane, he limped toward the cabin, carrying the box beneath his free arm.
Reese swallowed. “Thank you, but you didn’t need to bring me food, either.”
“Of course we did. You’re our guest. And a man’s got to eat. But be sure you seal up your garbage. We’ve got bears in these mountains and they like to root around in the trash.” Charlie’s deep voice sounded cheerful.
Katie tossed her father a withering glare, but he took no notice. She thought he was trying too hard. As a loving father, he wanted her to be happy. But right now, she didn’t like that he was being so nice to Reese.
“I picked out the cocoa flakes and apples for you. They’re my favorites,” Chrissy said, her button nose crinkling.
“They are, huh?” Reese reached out and rubbed the top of her head. She beamed up at him in return.
Inwardly, Katie trembled. Watching this man interact with her child made her nervous. Other than Charlie, she wasn’t used to having a father figure in Chrissy’s life. She felt hopeful and jealous at the same time. Ready to whisk her child away at a moment’s notice. She couldn’t understand why the girl had latched on to Reese so easily. Chrissy was normally shy around strangers.
“I appreciate all you’ve done for me,” Reese said.
“It’s our pleasure...isn’t it, Katie?” Charlie said.
She frowned. She didn’t want her father to expect too much, but she couldn’t say that right now. Not in front of Reese and Chrissy. “Um, yeah.”
Clasping the box, Charlie nudged Chrissy with his elbow. “Hey, bug. Why don’t you come and help me put these groceries away in the cabin? Then we can make some lunch.”
“Sure!” The girl skipped ahead of him.
Reese’s gaze followed the child, as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. A hint of tenderness filled his eyes and Katie wasn’t surprised. Chrissy was sweet and guileless. A person would have to be hard-hearted not to find her completely adorable.
And suddenly Katie found herself all alone with the man she could neither reject nor accept.
“Have you...?” she began.
“Do you...?” Reese said at the same time.
They stopped and gazed at one another for a moment. Then they laughed.
&nb
sp; “I’m sorry. You go first,” Katie said.
Reese held up a hand. “No, ladies first.”
Once again she was surprised by his good manners. “I was just wondering if you’ve had a chance to think about what I told you yesterday.”
He inclined his head. “Yes, I’ve thought about little else.”
“And?” she pressed.
He released a slow sigh. “It’s been a lot to take in.”
“Yes, I’m sure it is. But what do you want to do?”
He pulled off his leather gloves and shoved them into his pants pocket. “I’m not sure what you expect.”
She bristled. He’d always bailed out on his responsibilities. Why had she dared to hope he might want to be some kind of father to her child?
“You could take Chrissy for an ice cream cone at the drive-in, or take her to the park for a playdate,” she said.
He hesitated. “I’ve never spent any time with little kids. I don’t know how to act around them.”
“Chrissy’s pretty talkative, so she’ll probably provide most of the conversation. Why don’t you just try being yourself?” she suggested.
“I can do that. But what if she cries? Could I spend some time with her over at your place, to get to know her better first?”
“Of course, if that makes you feel more comfortable. But Chrissy isn’t much of a crier.” Katie thought visits at her home would be perfect. She had no problem with Reese being around Chrissy, as long as she or Charlie was present. She still didn’t know this man well enough to let him take off alone with her daughter.
“What does she like to do?” he asked, fidgeting with his rake.
The thought that he might need a little guidance amused Katie.
“She likes to watch kid movies, color with crayons and play with her dolls. How about if you come over to the motel for some short visits? That way, you can get to know her. And maybe you could have dinner with us tomorrow night.”
There. That was good. Dinner would provide the opportunity for Reese and Chrissy to be together, but still allow Katie to keep an eye on them. Charlie would be there, too, to help alleviate any possible tension between them. It was a start.