The Last Chance Matinee

by Mariah Stewart

  She continued to paddle and they followed the curve of the lake.

  “I included my proof of insurance and asked that I be added as an additional named insured on yours.” Joe paused. “You do have insurance, right?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe for fire, but I’m not really sure.”

  “Then you need to call your broker as soon as possible and find out. You have people coming and going, you have a liability situation here. Call Jen Welsh. She’ll know what you need.”

  He stopped rowing and pointed toward the shore. Cara turned and saw a doe with two fawns stepping beyond the tree line.

  “She’s beautiful,” Cara whispered. “And her babies are adorable. They’re the first I’ve seen since I’ve been here.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t seen them around the house, with all the woods around Hudson Street.”

  “I run in the woods and I haven’t seen anything but a couple of birds.”

  Joe resumed paddling, and so did she.

  “There’s all sorts of wildlife here. Raccoons, opossums, skunks . . .”

  “Ugh. I’d hate to run into one of those.” Cara made a face. “Way to start your morning.”

  “They don’t spray unless they feel threatened. So if you come across one, don’t approach it.”

  “Duh.” She rolled her eyes, and Joe laughed.

  “The best thing you can do is just turn your back and slowly walk away. Which is not what you should do if you meet up with a bear.”

  “Right,” she scoffed. “Like there’re bears behind Barney’s house.”

  “There are bears all around here. You’re in their home territory. You don’t mess with bears.”

  “Then why haven’t I seen any?”

  “Probably because they’re just coming out of hibernation. You might want to change your morning route since the weather’s warmed up. Last thing you want is to come face-to-face with a grumpy old mama that just rolled out of her den.”

  “Oh, like you have, Daniel Boone?”

  He laid the oar across his knees, grabbed the bottom of his shirt, and started to pull it over his head.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  “Showing you what happens when you get too close to a grumpy bear.”

  The guy was ripped. There was no other word for it. His chest was well defined with just a sprinkling of dark hair that contrasted with his skin, which still bore the faint remnants of last summer’s tan.

  Cara’s mouth went dry. She tried to remember if she’d ever seen anyone that well built who wasn’t on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine.

  “Right here,” he was saying, his fingers splayed on his left side.

  “What?”

  “This is where she got me.” When Cara didn’t respond—because she was still staring—he said, “The bear. See the claw marks? She got me good.” He pointed to the three long white scars that went from his rib cage toward his back.

  Cara cleared her throat. “A bear did that?”

  “Yeah. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.” He pulled his shirt back on and picked up the oar.

  “When did that happen?”

  “When I was twelve. Julie and I were hiking up behind the falls. The bear came out of nowhere, swinging like a prizefighter. I told Julie to run, and she did, thank God. The damned thing took one big swipe at me, knocked me down, and took off. I was lucky, I know. She could have killed me. As it was, I lost a lot of blood. Jules went home and got our dad. He carried me down to his car and drove me straight to the ER. They gave me blood and a bunch of stitches and sent me home with the advice to stay out of the woods.”

  “You were lucky. She really could have killed you.” And what a total waste that would have been.

  “Tell me about it.”

  Joe changed direction and pointed the canoe back toward the dock.

  “I’ve seen them out here around the lake, too. Which is why I prefer canoeing to hiking.”

  “Do you come out here a lot?” she asked.

  “When the weather’s good, yeah. It’s peaceful and beautiful and Barney doesn’t mind. She said I’m doing her a favor by keeping an eye on the place for her. Which we both know is a crock, but it’s nice of her to say.”

  “Where do you keep the canoe?”

  “In summer, I leave it in the boathouse.” He pointed toward the building Cara had noticed earlier. “Through the winter and early spring, I keep it in my garage because I’m not out here often enough to check on things.”

  “So how did it get here today?”

  “I drove out earlier and dropped it in the water.”

  “I like a man who plans ahead,” she said.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  They paddled back to the dock, pausing once to watch a flock of geese fly across the surface of the water. When they reached the dock, Joe maneuvered the canoe so Cara could safely climb out. He followed, dragging the canoe to shore, where he stood it up on one end.

  “Can you carry the oars?” he asked.

  “Sure.” She picked them up in both hands. They were long and unwieldy, but she managed to carry them back to the truck without dropping them or smacking Joe in the head.

  They reached the truck and Joe loaded the canoe on, then reached for the oars.

  “Had enough nature for the afternoon?” he asked as he slid the oars onto the flatbed.

  “I had enough after the bear story.” She glanced warily at the woods surrounding the parking lot. If a bear came charging out of there right then . . .

  “I’d scare it off with an oar.”

  “What? How did you know what I was thinking?”

  Joe laughed. “You had that ‘Oh God, what if’ look on your face.” He opened the passenger door.

  “Nice to know I’m so transparent.” She climbed into the seat and Joe closed the door.

  “I hope I didn’t scare you. Showing off my scars, that is.” Joe hopped in and started the truck.

  “Well, let’s call it a new awareness that we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

  He turned on the radio, which was set to a country music station.

  Cara looked across the cab and smiled, thinking back to the dance at the Bullfrog the other night.

  “Can’t get away from that country music,” she said.

  “There’s a station that plays oldies from the fifties and sixties. Maybe you can find it.”

  “We found a ton of fifties records in Barney’s attic and we played them.” Cara took over the radio dial. “Barney even taught us how to dance like they did back then.”

  “You can teach me, next time the VFW has oldies night.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  Why was it, she wondered, that the trip back from someplace always felt faster than the trip to? It seemed no time at all before they were pulling up in front of the house.

  Cara gathered her bag and the envelope he’d given her.

  “Wait,” Joe said. “Let me give you that copy of the contract I sent to Pete.”

  He opened the briefcase and handed her an envelope much like the one that held the photos.

  “Let me know if you have any questions, and if you’re okay with it, let Pete know.”

  “I’ll do that, thanks.”

  “And don’t forget to check on the insurance for the building.”

  “Right.” She held up the envelopes. “I know everyone is going to love these. Again, that was very thoughtful of you.”

  “Well, I guess that means I was thinking about you, doesn’t it?” He gave her arm a squeeze.

  “So maybe I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow night.”

  For a second she thought he was going to kiss her. He had that look about him as he leaned in and held her gaze for a very long moment. But then the spell was broken and he reached across her to open her door.

  “I’ll see you there.”

  Clutching the envelopes holding the photos and Joe’s contract to her chest, she jumped out of th
e truck and headed up the driveway to the house, wondering what she would have done if he had kissed her.

  No question. She’d have kissed him back.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Cara dreamt of giant bears that chased her up the trail behind Barney’s house and onto the rocks, and that when they swiped at her with their big clawed feet, she and the rocks went over the falls and into a pool of fire way below. She awoke with a start, sweating, her heart pounding. Not prone to nightmares, she tried to calm her shallow breathing. Glancing at her phone, she groaned when she saw it was 2:00 a.m. and she was wide awake.

  When she was a child and had one of her rare nightmares, Susa would make her a cup of warm milk and it always helped her back to sleep.

  She slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs. Once in the hallway, she turned on the lamp near the front door and found her way to the kitchen. She’d taken three steps into the room when she realized the back door was open.

  She froze. Had someone broken into the house? She strained to hear sounds that shouldn’t be there, but all was silent. As quietly as she could, she crossed the floor and peered out into the backyard. Her breath caught when she saw a figure seated in one of the Adirondack chairs on the patio. It took a moment for her to realize it was Allie.

  Cara opened the door the rest of the way and went outside.

  “Oh my God,” Allie whispered. “You just scared the crap out of me!”

  “Much as I felt when I saw the back door open,” Cara whispered back. “What are you doing out here?”

  “Enjoying the peace of a lovely spring night, what does it look like?”

  Cara took a few steps closer. Allie held a glass in one hand and a bottle in the other.

  “Would you like to join me for a drink?” Allie lifted the bottle so Cara could see the label.

  “I don’t care for vodka, thanks.” Cara sat on the edge of the seat next to Allie. “Why . . .”

  “. . . am I drinking alone in the middle of the night?” Allie took a sip. “Because I couldn’t sleep and there was no one to drink with me.”

  “Do you do this often?”

  “Most nights, I have a cocktail or two in my room.” Allie met Cara’s gaze defiantly. “Don’t even think about lecturing me, okay? I’m a big girl. I haven’t had an easy time lately, you know.”

  “Sounds like you’re making excuses, but”—Cara held up her hands as if to ward off whatever harsh words Allie might fling at her—“it’s your life.”

  “It is. Thank you.” Allie took another drink. “It’s been a bitch of a year.”

  “Oh, please. Can we talk about bad years? My ex is getting married this coming weekend.”

  “I thought it was the weekend after.”

  “I did, too, but Joe reminded me that the third weekend in March is this week.”

  “Ah yes. Joe. He is pretty fine, for a country boy. So you’re going to go out with him, right?”

  “This weekend.” Cara was tempted to tell her about bluegrass night at the gun club, but she thought that might go over better when Allie was sober, and her condition at the moment was questionable.

  “I’m sure you’ll have a great time. The guy’s had the hots for you since he met you.”

  “I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship yet.”

  “I must’ve missed the part where he said he wanted a relationship. I thought he just asked you out for Saturday night.”

  “Yes, but I’m pretty sure he’s not a one-and-done kind of guy. I’d bet money on it.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “I can’t explain it. It’s just this feeling I get from him.”

  “It’s perfectly natural for two adults—preferably unattached—who are attracted to gravitate toward each other. It’s part of the mating game.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not so sure I’m ready to mate with anyone yet.”

  “The dating part is all foreplay. I can’t believe I have to remind you of all this.” Allie turned in her seat as if studying Cara. “He did a job on you, didn’t he?” No need to name that particular “he.”

  Hot tears welled in the corners of Cara’s eyes but didn’t fall.

  “Yes, he did. I trusted Drew. With my life and with my future. And now he’s going to share that life and that future with someone else. Someone who used to be my friend. Who used my friendship to get close to my husband and steal him.”

  “So all this came out of the blue?”

  “We’d been arguing for a while.”

  “Over mostly stupid things, right? You worked too late, the Visa bill was too high, he didn’t like the way you had your hair done?”

  Cara nodded. “Close enough.”

  “Been there. Clint just wanted out. He said it wasn’t anything in particular, just that he didn’t feel it anymore.”

  “Drew said I spent too much time at the studio.”

  “Didn’t you have a business to run?”

  “I’d started offering classes at night for people who couldn’t come during the day. Classes for men. Mommy and Me yoga, Daddy and Me yoga. That’s how you build a successful business, by offering something no one else does.”

  “And the time you spent at the studio was time you weren’t catering to him.”

  “I never catered—”

  “I bet you did. And as soon as you stopped, he had to find someone else to stroke his ego and tell him what a super-duper hot stud he was. When you married Drew, you had no yoga studio—you weren’t giving classes, right?”

  “I was working in my mom’s shop.” Cara paused. “But you’re right. I had lots of time on my hands and I spent a lot of that time focused on Drew, taking care of the house and all the little details of his life.”

  “So everything revolved around Drew until you started your business.”

  “But Drew was supportive of that: He helped me to fix up the studio—”

  “Oh, pooh. It was a chance for him to show off whatever skills he had so you and everyone else could tell him what a great guy he was and what a great job he did. Then once the studio was up and running, the picture changed.”

  “So you’re saying he cheated on me because I started my own business?”

  “No. I’m saying he cheated on you because he couldn’t stand not being the center of your universe.”

  Cara fell silent.

  “What about this chick he’s marrying?”

  “My friend Darla says Amber was always jealous of me and was happy when she had an opportunity to take something that was mine.” Cara sighed. “Though I don’t know who started it between the two of them.”

  “Well, it sounds like they deserve each other.”

  “You know the worst part? I never saw it coming.”

  “Same here,” Allie said softly. “Well, I hope you’re past that.”

  “I’m getting there. How ’bout you?”

  “I was there until I realized how he’d played me.”

  “There’s a special place in hell for men like that.”

  Allie nodded. “There is.”

  “But for the record, you’ve done a wonderful job with Nikki. We all adore her.”

  “Thank you. I’d love to take the credit, but she’s just naturally herself. She’s always been this happy-go-lucky, out-there kind of girl.” Allie realized her glass was empty, so she picked up the bottle and poured.

  “You think Joe is the type who’d be threatened by a woman who can stand on her own?”

  Cara laughed. “He gave me a pep talk about not letting any of the contractors walk all over me. Including him. So no, I’d have to say Joe is the last man on earth to back away from a strong woman.”

  “Well, then, I think I like Joe.” Allie sat all the way back in the chair and closed her eyes. “I think your ex was an immature, immoral ass. Don’t let the way he made you feel change the way you feel about yourself.”

  “Thanks, Allie. I needed that. Especially with the wedding this weekend.”

&nbs
p; “Like I said, your ex and his little honey deserve each other. You can do better.” Allie paused. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink?”

  “I’m positive.” Cara stood. “I think I’m going to go in. I’m freezing. It’s probably time for you to go in, too.”

  “Uh-uh.” Allie wagged a finger at Cara. “I’ll decide when it’s time for me to go in.”

  “I don’t want you to fall asleep out here, Allie. What if Nikki finds you in the morning?”

  “You mean passed out in an Adirondack chair in Barney’s backyard?” Allie seemed to consider that. “You’re right. That would be bad.” Allie stood and took a deep breath. When Cara reached an arm out to steady her, Allie shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  She took three steps toward the back porch and stumbled.

  “Allie, give me the bottle and the glass. If you fall, you’re liable to cut yourself.” She managed to get the glass away from her sister but not the bottle.

  Allie smacked her hand away. “Stop it. I’m fine,” she insisted.

  “You’re going to hurt yourself, and if you don’t lower your voice, you’re going to wake everyone up.”

  The threat of possibly having Barney, Des, and Nikki awakened settled Allie down. She took the steps slowly but deliberately, and Cara got her into the house. Once in the kitchen, she rinsed out Allie’s glass.

  “Will coffee help?” Cara asked.

  “Just sleep.”

  “Then wait up and I’ll give you a hand. We’re going to have to be really quiet,” Cara reminded her.

  Allie nodded and did as she was told. Cara helped her take the steps slowly, and soon they were back in Allie’s room.

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “Seriously, don’t mention it to Des, okay? She has this aversion to drinking. Guess ’cause of our mother.” Allie lay back against her pillow, her eyes already closed. “Promise?”

  Cara hesitated. She and Des were well on their way toward a true friendship. Keeping something important from her seemed like a betrayal.

  “Cara? Promise? I don’t want Des to know. She’ll make a big freaking deal out of it.”