Cutter Mountain Rendezvous (15 page)

Beulah’s Motel & Restaurant was the last business in Bear Creek with the detached eatery facing Main Street. More streets followed with newer, larger homes where Kate’s parents lived near Bear Creek’s two bed-’n-breakfast establishments.

Colton pulled into an empty parking spot in front of the sheriff’s office—a beige brick affair with a large plate glass window and single-glass door entrance. A patrol car was parked in one of three reserved slots at the side of the building next to a blue truck. The sheriff’s office boasted one holding cell. Aside from an occasional inebriated local, it went unused.

MaryLou, a high-school classmate of Kate’s, greeted them with a nod. Her claim to fame was a mass of golden locks flowing down to the middle of her back. Unfortunately, her hair was usurped by her reputation: one that put a smile on any Bear Creek boy eager to experiment in her lab of sexual awareness. A phone receiver to one ear, she placed a hand over the mouthpiece and smiled at Colton but spoke to Kate. “Go on in. Your dad’s expecting yawl.”

Kate did a mental eye roll to see Colton give MaryLou a dazzling smile and say, “Coffee smells great.” The coffeemaker gurgled near her desk as if on queue.

“I’ll bring yawl some soon as I hang up.”

“Thanks, MaryLou. No rush,” Kate said with enough syrup to make a cherry cola. There was a time in high school when MaryLou would have thrown the coffee in Kate’s direction complete with brewing pot. Kate never quite understood the jealousy other than Kate’s dad was a respected Sheriff’s Deputy while MaryLou’s was the town drunkard. To her credit, she had changed her ways and joined the Apostolic Church one town over and now held a respectable position working for Kate’s dad—County Sheriff Carter Crockett.

“Kate. Colton.” Carter stood and shook Colton’s extended hand.

“Sir.”

Colton took in the surround of the office as he settled in his seat. Two small, high windows provided the only natural light. The cluttered room wasn’t nearly large enough to hold Carter Crockett’s large desk, file cabinets, and personal memorabilia piled in neat stacks everywhere. His trooper hat sat propped on a wooden coat rack.

“Coffee?” Carter asked. “MaryLou brewed a fresh pot when I told her you two were coming into town.”

MaryLou entered with a file-tray-turned-coffee-server and set it down next to Colton. Three cups of black coffee shimmied in disposable cups next to napkins and condiments. “You need anything else, yawl jest holler.”

Carter smiled. “Thanks, MaryLou.”

Colton passed out the coffee and dumped four sugar packets and powdered creamer into his own and made a whirlpool with a red stir stick. “Tell him, Kate.”

“We found out where the construction pile thief lives.”

“He’s holed up in Tom Cutter’s cabin,” Colton cut in.

“I thought I was telling the story?”

Not seeming to hear Kate, Colton sat forward to engage Carter. “Personally, I don’t think this kid is out to harm anyone but I thought you should send a trooper up to see what he’s doing there. The place is a mess. No kid should be staying up there alone with nothing but a sleeping bag.”

“
You
said it was the Ritz.”

“Do you want to tell the story?” He ignored the kick to the side of his tennis shoe. Damn he loved to tease her.

“Why do you think he’s a youth?” Carter asked.

“I saw him once the night I arrived.” Colton set down his coffee cup. “Well, it was dark but you can tell a gangly kid from a man in how he moves. I’m sure he’s a teen.”

“You’ve probably spooked him off for the time being. I’ll send Jerry up to check things out. In the meantime, I don’t want Lindsay wandering around your woods,” he told Kate.

“I never let her wander anywhere. She’s too young.”

Kate went rigid. Her hands balled into a tight clasp in her lap. Colton regretted teasing her by giving her the floor then pulling it out as quick. He jumped to her defense. “We’ve no intention in letting Lindsay out of either our sights until you figure out what’s going on. Although, I have to say, Kate is more than a little overprotective.” That earned him a pinch to the calf that damn well hurt, but his gaze didn’t falter from Kate’s dad who was watching them with mild interest.

“Glad to hear it,” Carter said and shuffled papers on his desk. “I was about to head out to your place when your mother called. Where’d I put that letter? Here it is. I signed for it, Kate. Hope you don’t mind.” He handed Kate a certified envelope and letter opener. “Bill mentioned it when he dropped off the afternoon mail. I said I’d deliver it so the mail truck didn’t have to make a special run by your place.” He clasped his hands on his desk. “You intend to use that letter opener or stare it open?”

“Do you know anyone from Bender, Bender and Lawson in Knoxville?” she asked.

“Can’t say I do.”

She sliced open the letter. “Bennett Field.” She tipped the letter toward Colton. “It’s a notice to appear in his lawyer’s office to discuss the land warrant. Guess we know why he didn’t call back.”

Colton squirmed in his seat. His fingers itched to call his
she
lawyer and see what the hell happened. She had dropped the ball. That’s what happened.

“You care to explain?” her dad asked.

“Mom didn’t tell you about my strange call?”

“You two keeping secrets again?”

“Of course not. I assumed she’d tell you. I tried, but you immediately accused me of messing up—”

“Is this about that call where you hung up on me?” Carter rocked back in his chair.

“Uh,” Colton interjected. “Would you two like me to wait outside?”

“No,” Kate said too fast and a lot too forceful. “Dad, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. Bennett Field is related to Tom Cutter. His assistant called to say he’s unearthed an ancient land warrant on my property. When I asked to talk to him direct, the line disconnected. Colton and I decided we’d wait and see if he called back. He didn’t so I assumed it was kids fooling around. Colton agreed I shouldn’t panic unless something came of it. Guess it did.” She shrugged.

Colton twitched at every mention of his name. Kate was taking the letter a whole lot calmer than he. Then, he was the one who meddled in her behalf and behind her back. “Don’t forget the part where he thinks Tom’s bones are buried under your cabin,” he added helpful before draining his coffee.

Carter huffed out a laugh. “It sounds like a pile of horse manure to me.”

“This says it isn’t.” Kate sucked in a loud breath. “Shoot. This says I need to appear next Monday. That’s impossible. Trey’s flying into Knoxville Sunday night. He’s supposed to drive out to my place on Monday to pick up Lindsay for her month in California. Can this be delayed?”

Colton snagged it from her hand. “I’ll have my lawyer handle it.”

“You most certainly will not,” she seethed through clenched teeth and made a grab for the document. Colton lifted it out of her reach. Not willing to make a scene in front of her dad, Kate buttoned her lips and pressed them into a grim line. She pushed back from her seat. “I need to pick up Lindsay.”

Carter stood and held out an open palm to Colton. “I can handle that for Kate.”

She snatched the letter in the exchange and stormed from the office. “Neither one of you will handle it.”

Outside, the letter was folded into her purse and away from the men in her life. She paced the sidewalk in wait of Colton. What was taking him so long? Interfering in his typical manner, she decided.

When she saw him in the outer office hunched over MaryLou’s desk, she knew he was giving her an autograph. Did the guy sign every piece of paper or napkin stuck under his nose?

Colton joined her on the sidewalk and took hold of her elbow. “Let’s grab dinner and talk.”

“We’re supposed to pick up Lindsay.”

“Your dad said they’d feed her.”

“Do not tell me you’re in cahoots with my dad over this?”

“Kate, I’m not promising anything at this point other than we’re going to sit down, eat a meal and talk. Conversation always goes better over a meal.”

“Maybe for you,” she said and slid into the passenger seat of his truck. “My dad must think we’re a couple of idiots. We behaved like nitwits. Honestly, you bring out the worst in me.”

“Interesting. I was just thinking I bring out the best in you.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes my jaw flaps without reason. It’s been a stressful day.”

“Every day with you is stressful. Do you realize you just passed Beulah’s?” She made an exaggerated show of crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow. He barked out a laugh that made her grin. “Where we going, cowboy?”

Chapter Thirteen

“Tiny Tim’s. Bobby and I ate there the night he towed Bessie. He said the place is too local for anyone to recognize me. They didn’t and the food was great.”

“It’s a bar with greasy burgers and fries.”

“There’s wooden booths with high partitions. We can talk without anyone noticing us.”

“We can talk in my kitchen.”

“Any cold beer in your kitchen?”

“No.”

“Then you’ll eat a greasy burger and fries because I need a cold beer to tell you what I’ve got to say.”

“Super. An upset stomach
and
greasy food along with bad news. There’s a deadly combination. Did you tell my dad what your lawyer found out about Bennett Field?”

“I told him what you already know.”

“That’s double talk. You don’t need to drag me to Tiny’s to say what I already know.”

“I need to tell you about my trip to Knoxville.”

Kate saw the muscle jump in his jaw. They slowed behind a big bus. “How can it possibly be any worse than at this very moment?” She squinted to study the bus’s rear end. “That bus looks familiar. Can you get around it?”

“I’m trying. We keep dipping up and down. Damned if I can see what’s coming over the hill before another pops up. Hang on.” He hit the gas. “Eh, hah, ya gotta love a V-8.”

The truck darted out from behind the bus and made a seamless shift into overdrive. Kate gasped when they got alongside the bus. “That’s Trace Patton’s bus.”

Colton saw
TRACE PATTON
and the
Kentucky Rebel Rouser Band
streak before his eyes. Disembodied heads of the band members floated above the words.

She straightened in her seat. “I wonder what he’s doing down here. He lives in Nashville.”

“Since that’s a tour bus, I’m guessing on tour.” He pulled off the road into Tiny’s large gravel parking lot. There were a handful of trucks and several cars out front of the low wood structure with more neon than personality. By the time Colton opened the door for Kate, he saw the big bus slow. The blinker indicated it was pulling into the lot.
Damn.
He quickly steered Kate inside to a back booth in hopes she wouldn’t see her relative and the whole night be shot with Trace Patton and his boys talking about the good old days.

“What’s the big rush?” she complained, when he hurried her into the booth and slid in next to her. Their backs were to the door.

Colton looked around the booth’s partition to see five road-weary band members file into Tiny’s and belly up to the bar. The Rascal Flats tune blasting from the jukebox helped drown the commotion caused by the band’s presence. He watched Kate weave her fingers into a clasp and rest her arms on the table before her. “So? What’s so important you had to drag me to a noisy bar to get the guts to tell me over a beer?”

A waitress in tight jeans and pink T-shirt came to their table with a bar tray filled with drinks. TINY TIM’S was emblazed across her ample chest. “Hey, Colton. Where yawl been? Haven’t seen you around in weeks.”

“Hey, Tanya. Been with Kate here over in Bear Creek. Could you get us a couple of burger baskets? Give Kate a cola, and I’ll have whatever’s light on tap. Watching my waistline.” He grinned with a wink.

“Sure, baby. That would be a Bud Light.” She slanted a look at Kate from beneath twenty coats of mascara. “Oh, hey, Kate. Thought that might be you, but wasn’t sure until Colton said your name. Haven’t seen you around these parts in a long time.”

“Hey, Tanya.” Kate’s enthusiasm lacked that of Colton’s. “Could you make that cola a light draft like Colton’s?”

“Sure. Did you see Trace’s band just walked in?” Colton did a mental groan as Tanya cracked her gum. She jerked her head in the direction of the bar where a wave of laughter erupted. “I’ll tell him yawl’s over here. I’m sure he’d like to come by and meet Colton.”

“I’ll catch up with him when we leave,” Kate said sweetly. “Colton and I are here to talk business.”

“
Tanya
,” some guy called out. “While yer standin’ there flappin’ yer jaw, our beers are gettin’ warm.”

“Shut up yer pie hole, Billie Ray. I’m coming.”

Kate slid a sideways glance at Colton. “We should have gone back to my place where the town color was less local. I think you’d better tell me quick what you have on your mind before Trace gets wind the almighty Col-Train’s in the house.”