Cutter Mountain Rendezvous (25 page)

Bennett Field waved off his lawyer. “Oliver, if you don’t mind I’d like to speak for myself.” His voice wobbled, as weak as the man himself. Andrea’s only protest was a jerk of her hand toward his. Even across the table, blue veins were visible under his papery white skin. Kate wasn’t sure the man would survive the meeting and was sorry Sasha had goaded him with her outlandish accusation.

Anticipatory silence fell upon the room to await Bennett Field’s words. Other than picking up her BlackBerry to glance at a text message, Sasha remained quiet. She set the cell next to Kate with nonchalance. Colton’s name was easily read and sent a sickening shiver of betrayal down her spine.

Bennett began speaking but Kate didn’t hear a word. Her mind was racing too fast to hear his weak monotone voice over her barrage of thoughts. Was Colton waiting for Sasha to finish up here so they could rendezvous? This was a new low of cruelty by both Sasha and Colton. Hadn’t the note with its bold green lettering been damning enough without rubbing his former girlfriend in her face? Sasha was smooth. No doubt. She had talked Kate into allowing her to represent her against all common sense.

Kate stood and weaved. Oliver and Sasha had taken over the floor and were quibbling about a settlement. She grabbed the table for support. Sasha touched her hand. “I smelled a rat the moment we walked in this room.”

“A rat?” Kate blinked.

“Don’t look so shell-shocked. This is good news, honey. Why are you standing? Do you need water?”

“This is a mistake. I should have hired my own lawyer. Tell Colton if he
ever
interferes in my business again, I’ll sue him.”

“But you’ve won here. You don’t need a lawyer. Honey, you need an accountant and then a trust lawyer for your daughter—”

“Don’t ‘honey’ me,” Kate snapped. Her open palm stung when it connected with Sasha’s jaw. Kate placed her icy fingertips over her quivering lips. “I’m sorry. I’ve never struck another person.” She sank back into her chair. “The fire has left me in such a state. My daughter is in California.”
Colton’s gone. All is lost.
“The fire,” she repeated with a shaky voice.
All is lost.
It was impossible to keep her pleading eyes from landing on Bennett Field in hopes he would understand. “I’m sorry.”

In the blur, Sasha set a glass of water in front of her. “Drink this.”

“I don’t know what came over me. Did I hurt you?”

“Me? Of course not. I’m made of steel. I’m sure it hurt you more. Are you okay?”

Suddenly, the room felt too cold. Too quiet. She began to shake and flinched when Bennett Field rose from his chair. His frail hands whisked away the protective Andrea Roesch and his lawyer.

What was he doing? Bennett’s face was ashen as he walked around the table to her chair and extended his hand. “Come, young lady. You need fresh air.”

Chapter Twenty-One

In spite of Bennett Field’s unassuming presence, she felt a sudden sense of safety with her frigid hand secure in the surprising warmth of his grasp. His gait had strength and purpose as he led her out of the room, away from the offices of Bender, Bender and Lawson.

Outside on the hot pavement of downtown Knoxville, they squinted in the bright sun. Bennett led her to a small, shady park with benches.

In a semi-daze, Kate sat next to him. He removed a roll of Lifesavers from inside his suit jacket. Over her shoulder the nervous contingent followed and stayed their distance. Regret to have excluded her father ran deep at the pit of her churning stomach.

“Have a cherry Lifesaver. They always soothe my daughter when she’s upset. Maybe it will help you.” The ruby red buoy sat on Bennett’s lined palm.

She took it and popped it into her mouth. The sweet-tart nectar of cherry spread across her tongue a strange lifeline that did seem to calm her shaking insides. Or was it Bennett Field’s understated presence? She looked into his pale blue eyes. They were quite beautiful up close. “You have a daughter?”

“She’s forty. A late in life bonus.” Color bloomed life into his drawn cheeks. “A bright star that lit my universe.”

“I miss my daughter terribly. But I’m glad she wasn’t here when the fire broke out.”

“Me too.” Bennett heaved a small sigh. “Did you hear any thing I said before we came outside?”

Kate shook her head. Colton’s name tied to Sasha had been the catalyst that stripped away her last defenses against the blow of the fire. Outside, here on the park bench with Bennett, his frail voice seemed loud and clear, where inside it became lost in the escalating barbs thrown between Sasha Silberstine and Oliver Lawson. “No. I apologize.”

“I thought so. Then you didn’t hear that I talked to your father before coming here today?”

Kate’s head snapped his direction. “Why?”

“I’ll repeat the why, but first let’s talk about the fire. Your father told me about your fear of fire. How you’d seen a bad fire as a child and it terrorized you with ugly nightmares for years. Yet you ran into a burning house to save a cat.”

“Tinkerbelle. He’s Lindsay’s first pet. Lindsay is my daughter. She’s seven.”

Bennett smiled. “You were very brave.”

She lowered her head. “I couldn’t have faced Lindsay if Tinkerbelle had...had...” Kate swallowed the sob caught in her throat. Sasha appeared out of nowhere to press a tissue into her hand.

“Take your time.” Bennett gave a comforting squeeze to her hand that now gripped the edge of the bench. Even with a gentle breeze, Kate felt the heat of terror creep over her as she envisioned the fire’s angry tongues devouring her home. How strange. Her dad called her a hero. Bennett said she was brave. In her mind, there was no option.

All is lost.

With this sensitive mystery man sitting next to her, those words didn’t ring true. All was not lost. She was young. Strong. The renovation of the inn would provide a new start.
Oh!
She stuttered in a breath. Bennett patted her hand. The inn might be gone, but there was the new song. A ray of hope, proving she could still write another song when she’d been sure the creative part of her was dead. Lindsay would be home in two weeks. Another positive. There was plenty of time to get things reorganized. “You know what, Mr. Field.”

“We’re friends now, Kate. Call me Bennett.” He offered another Lifesaver, which she refused. “I fear I’ve interrupted you. What were you going to say?”

“That I’m okay.
Really
okay. I’ll weather this and Lindsay and I will be okay because things have a way of working out.” A grin creased her lips. “My dad says that to distraction. But he’s right. Things are going to work out.”

“Good. Then I’m glad you didn’t hear what was said in my lawyer’s office. Brace yourself, Kate. What I’m about to say will test your new resolve.”

Kate sat up straighter on the park bench and gave Bennett her full attention. “How’s that?”

“My daughter set fire to your house.” Kate’s sharp intake of air made Bennett lower his head. She thought he instantly looked ten years older. “You’ll never know how sorry I am, yet how happy you weren’t hurt. That you saved Tinkerbelle.”

The story unfolding on the park bench turned incredible. Kate strained to hear over the blood rushing in her ears. Bennett’s daughter, Bonnie, was a brilliant girl, he told her. MIT material before she began having a series of mental breakdowns as a teen and an unhealthy fascination for fire.

Bennett bolstered himself with a deep intake of air. “I didn’t contact you to take your land away, Kate. Bonnie called posing as Andrea. My intent was to partner with you. Show you this incredible piece of paper and see if Tom’s bones were below your inn. If so, then I hoped we’d come to an agreement. Make the place a museum instead of the purpose you intended.”

“But the lien—”

“Sadly, that was Bonnie’s way to scare you. She doesn’t think straight at times and is very loyal to me. She did it for me to clear the way. We’ve learned she impersonated Andrea and made the call from a cell phone, while near your property. I didn’t know about her call until I talked to your father.”

“So that’s why you never called back.”

“Yes. I didn’t even know about the call.”

“But Sasha Silberstine talked to you.”

“Miss Silberstein talked to Andrea, who told her I was a family historian, which is true. She also confirmed the existence of the land warrant. When Miss Silberstine offered a sizable check to purchase the land warrant, Andrea said she’d have me get back to her. We thought it an odd call, but ignored it for the time being as Bonnie had gone missing. When the check arrived from Miss Silberstine’s law office in Miami with a letter of intent to purchase the land warrant, it was set aside in the panic to find Bonnie.”

“How frightening.”

“Yes. Each time it gets worse. She’s fearless, which puts her in danger. There’s been a series of runaways over the years although I have a full-time guardian. Andrea is much more than an assistant. She lives with us and cares for Bonnie. My wife died shortly after Bonnie was born, and Andrea stepped into the dual role. I’m indebted to her.”

“Oh, dear. Is Bonnie safe?”

“Yes. That’s why I sent the letter to arrange this meeting. To clear away the misunderstandings. Make restitution. You see, my private investigator learned of the fire in his search for Bonnie. Unfortunately, we knew instantly where to look. He found her wandering along the shores of Cutter Lake near the Corp of Engineers office with little more than a sleeping bag. She’s never been combative. She recognized him. He believes she was ready to come home and grateful he found her. She was quite the sight and hungry. We’ve institutionalized her for her own safety. It’s my greatest sorrow.”

Kate took hold of his hand this time. “I’m so sorry, but I don’t understand. How could she possibly have known about my place?”

Bennett slowly shook his head back and forth several times. “That’s my fault. To keep Bonnie’s bright mind active, I assigned her research projects on Tom Cutter after the land warrant was discovered in a lock box of a deceased relative. It was very exciting. I’ve never seen her so fascinated with a project. Obsessive. She began to fantasize about life as a pioneer woman or how Tom’s young wife lived alone in the cabin while Tom fought in the Indian Wars. I should have guessed it wasn’t normal. I’m an old fool.” He dropped his face into his hands and wept softly.

Andrea rushed to his side. Afraid she would lead him away before Kate had her say, she put her hand on his suit sleeve. “Bennett. Your daughter saved my life. I’d been blown from the upstairs bedroom window onto the porch roof and rolled off to the ground. It knocked me senseless. I could hardly breathe. I was vaguely aware of someone pulling my arm. She dragged me under a shady tree away from the heat of the fire.”

The entourage moved closer. Kate hurried. She needed to finish with Bennett. Things were coming back. The suppressed memory was suddenly clear. She had been unable to speak for wracking coughs searing her lungs. Her whole body pulsated in pain by the wind knocked from her lungs during the fall. Through a shimmer of heat, smoke, and the deafening roar of orange flames, she watched a tall slip of a figure fling rockers off the porch from her spot under the tree. She’d counted two before the front windows blew out and the figure darted off. A siren wailed in the distance and then things went black. When she woke in her father’s arms, the front of the structure had toppled over to the very place where she had lain. She would have been burned alive.

Kate began to shake. “Tell Bonnie thank you for saving my life.”

Sasha sat next to Kate when Bennett left the bench and placed her arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Kate. I’ll take you to your hotel so you can rest. Then we need to talk.”

Kate pulled out from under her arm to stand. “You’re fired. And tell Colton to stay out of my life for good.”

****

Colton listened to Sasha relate the turn of events. Bennett offered a substantial settlement for Kate’s loss along with a trust fund for Lindsay. Colton’s bribe check had been returned at the meeting. These things were in return for Kate not suing him, which would have been Sasha’s preference for a lot more money. “Where’s she staying?”

“What do you care? It’s over. I’ve been fired twice over this mess, once by you and once by her. Let the dumbo lawyer she hires finish up the paperwork.”

“You’ll tell me where she’s staying or there won’t be a check in the mail for your time.”

“Seth brought me into this mess, I’ll make him pay. By the way, Kate has a message for you. Stay the hell out of her life. Guess that clears the way for us, Pookie.”

“You forget I made you drop me at the first busy corner in Knoxville once I promised to cut you a check for Bennett.”

“As I remember, you weren’t dropped off at all. It was more like you dashed from my car at a stoplight without an explanation. What do you want with a kid like Kate when you can have a woman like me?”

Colton huffed out a mocking laugh. “Kate’s not a kid. She’s more woman than you’ll ever be.”

“I doubt that.”

“Believe it.”

“Does that mean you slept with her?”

“None of your business.”