Cutter Mountain Rendezvous by Barbara Weitz Read Free Book Online Page A

Cutter’s bones could be down in the ground under this table.”
    Kate laughed. “You’re not helping here. Do you think the call was a hoax?”
    “It seems fishy. Why have his assistant call? Or why call at all? Why not just hit you with a legal notice?”
    “Mom! You’re not taking this seriously.”
    “I don’t know what to tell you. I wish you’d talk to your father about it.”
    “I called Dad today. He cut me off.”
    “Now, Kate.” Her mom paused a moment. Translation: don’t be a spoiled brat, yada yada. Kate had heard it a million times. Good daughter that she was, she let her mom finish her sentence. “When are you going to stop butting heads with him? Give him a chance. He loves you and is as concerned about you two being out here alone as I am.”
    “Meaning?”
    “Meaning, we don’t like that you’ve settled up here on top a mountain without neighbors. And you feel it too or you wouldn’t carry a gun. Don’t deny it, Kate.”
    “I’m comfortable with guns, and it seems a good deterrent should I need one to scare off a curious bear. Besides, there’s a Corps of Engineer office and a park ranger’s cabin within two miles. Not to mention I’m twenty minutes from town. This is a perfect spot for an inn. I love it here.”
    No way would Kate tell her mom she had seen the lean form of a short man poking around her discarded construction pile in the dead of night. It had been a fluke to see the intruder. She had gone into Lindsay’s room to kiss her sleeping daughter when the outside lights popped on. Usually that meant deer. Not a surprise visitor.
    “You could have lived with us,” Eva persisted. “We’ve plenty of room.”
    The real reason finally emerged. Her parents wanted to spoil Lindsay and tell Kate the things she did wrong as a mother. “I want to be independent. Who knows if I’ll ever marry again?”
    “Ridiculous,” her mother huffed, and they slipped into idle gossip while drinking their tea.
    A half hour later, Eva went upstairs to say goodbye to Lindsay. When ready to leave, she and Kate went silent as they stepped into the foyer and saw Colton’s door closed.
    “Don’t look in the front windows off the porch,” Kate whispered. “After today, I’m sure Colton will be more than willing to install the blinds I bought.”
    Eva laughed and stepped outside. “I might like what I see.”
    “Mom!”
    “Come on, Kate. It’s fun to have a little uproar now and then. He’ll be gone in a few days, and you’ll be bored. Ogle him while you can.”
    “I’d say you’re doing enough for the both of us. Besides, I’ll be glad when he’s gone. He’s hard-headed.”
    “Crocketts have a history for being hard-headed. Did you know that?” There was an impish glitter in her mom’s green eyes when she leveled them on Kate.
    “I do.” She grinned back and closed the car door.
    “One of you has to give, Kate. And I can tell you from experience it won’t be your dad.”
    “I’ll call him. I promise.”
    “Good. I’ll grease the wheel. He loves apple pie, and I do believe I’m in the mood to bake one.”
    Kate laughed as she waved goodbye. She hoped she would still be smiling when she faced her new boarder over the dinner table.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
    After telling her mother she didn’t intend to “ogle” Colton, Kate found herself making covert glances. Lindsay stood next to him absorbing his lesson on the proper way to season a steak.
    He wore a clean pair of baggy shorts with loose ties flapping around his knees and a faded jean shirt rolled up at the sleeves. Sandals replaced his boots. He hardly presented a picture of wealth and celebrity.
    “Medium? Raw?” he asked and caught her gawking.
    “Medium.” The words rushed out too fast as she fumbled to hand him a tongs from the counter. He didn’t seem to notice he put her off balance. She grimaced. “No blood, please.”
    “Hear that, Half-Pint? Pink in the middle.”
    “Can I cook