didn’t approve of me working in any capacity. Lindsay was my job. I tried to keep the music alive. We had a trusted teenager Trey approved of when we went to social events.”
Colton touched her arm. His warm fingers sizzled against her skin. “You don’t owe me any explanations, Kate.”
She looked into his compassionate eyes no longer filled with his earlier anger. “No, I need to tell you like you needed your say about Germaine. So you know I’m not mental. Trey was in New York at a convention. I think he was having an affair. Since other wives attended and he wouldn’t take me, I hired the sitter and went to a Nashville club to meet friends. While I was gone, the sitter took Lindsay in her car to a QuickBuy. She put her in the backseat without a booster and left her in the car while she ran inside. Two teenagers stole the car with Lindsay inside. When they discovered her, the boys abandoned the car with Lindsay safe inside but frightened. Trey blamed me.”
“He approved of the sitter.”
“Not in Trey’s logic. Things unraveled fast after that. I accused him of cheating, and he smashed my guitars. The piano had already been gifted to a church. He called me awful things in front of Lindsay. We’d had bitter fights in the past that she’d witnessed, but nothing like that night. It was a terrible blow, as I’d become over-protective of Lindsay because she was my only job. The guilt was horrible. That’s why I freaked out when I saw her in the barn. I’m sorry.”
“Hell, its over. Forget it. I knew how you felt about the barn and thought if you saw me take Lindsay inside you’d see firsthand it was safe. Which it is. Would you like me to show you? I do know a thing or two about carpentry.”
“Yes. I’d like that.”
Colton sat back in his chair to run a hand over his damp hair and blew out a breath. “So we’re good now?” Kate nodded. “All’s forgiven?”
“Maybe not all .” She grinned. She had enough sense to leave her questions about the woman in Knoxville alone.
“That’s a hell of a sight better than no forgiveness. Let’s take a look at the barn.”
The days flew by. Kate couldn’t believe it when she turned the calendar to June. Colton would leave in another week, and Lindsay would be out of school soon. Trey would be coming to take her to California for a month. An agreement reached in their divorce settlement. She dreaded seeing Trey almost as much as letting Lindsay leave with him.
Colton continued his daily training regiment that included using Bobby as a catcher while he slowly worked the arm. Bobby—once a catcher for the Bear Creek High School baseball team—jumped at the chance to help out.
One day while Lindsay was at school, they worked side by side to clean out the barn, burning anything they agreed was worthless.
“Colton, come look at this,” Kate called when he returned to the barn from the burn pile. “Don’t you think it would look good in the big entry? It’s that sideboard you pointed out when I first came in here to look around.”
“What the hell—heck’s a sideboard?”
Kate laughed. “At least you’re trying. A sideboard is what they used to set food on years ago. I think its solid mahogany and would be perfect for the same purpose once the inn’s up and running. What do you think?”
“Give me a hand, and we’ll move it into the light.”
After she and Colton hauled the sideboard to the front of the barn, she began sanding away layers of dirt and varnish. She had to admit she liked the barn and considered getting it fixed up. That is, if there was enough money left on her construction loan.
Unseasonably hot, Kate sweated in a tank top and didn’t blame Colton for removing his shirt. More than once she found herself sanding one spot in a slow circle to admire him as sweat glistened on his skin and muscles bunched with every move.
The rattle of heavy chains caught her attention. Bobby’s tow truck was heading for the barn with
Colton touched her arm. His warm fingers sizzled against her skin. “You don’t owe me any explanations, Kate.”
She looked into his compassionate eyes no longer filled with his earlier anger. “No, I need to tell you like you needed your say about Germaine. So you know I’m not mental. Trey was in New York at a convention. I think he was having an affair. Since other wives attended and he wouldn’t take me, I hired the sitter and went to a Nashville club to meet friends. While I was gone, the sitter took Lindsay in her car to a QuickBuy. She put her in the backseat without a booster and left her in the car while she ran inside. Two teenagers stole the car with Lindsay inside. When they discovered her, the boys abandoned the car with Lindsay safe inside but frightened. Trey blamed me.”
“He approved of the sitter.”
“Not in Trey’s logic. Things unraveled fast after that. I accused him of cheating, and he smashed my guitars. The piano had already been gifted to a church. He called me awful things in front of Lindsay. We’d had bitter fights in the past that she’d witnessed, but nothing like that night. It was a terrible blow, as I’d become over-protective of Lindsay because she was my only job. The guilt was horrible. That’s why I freaked out when I saw her in the barn. I’m sorry.”
“Hell, its over. Forget it. I knew how you felt about the barn and thought if you saw me take Lindsay inside you’d see firsthand it was safe. Which it is. Would you like me to show you? I do know a thing or two about carpentry.”
“Yes. I’d like that.”
Colton sat back in his chair to run a hand over his damp hair and blew out a breath. “So we’re good now?” Kate nodded. “All’s forgiven?”
“Maybe not all .” She grinned. She had enough sense to leave her questions about the woman in Knoxville alone.
“That’s a hell of a sight better than no forgiveness. Let’s take a look at the barn.”
The days flew by. Kate couldn’t believe it when she turned the calendar to June. Colton would leave in another week, and Lindsay would be out of school soon. Trey would be coming to take her to California for a month. An agreement reached in their divorce settlement. She dreaded seeing Trey almost as much as letting Lindsay leave with him.
Colton continued his daily training regiment that included using Bobby as a catcher while he slowly worked the arm. Bobby—once a catcher for the Bear Creek High School baseball team—jumped at the chance to help out.
One day while Lindsay was at school, they worked side by side to clean out the barn, burning anything they agreed was worthless.
“Colton, come look at this,” Kate called when he returned to the barn from the burn pile. “Don’t you think it would look good in the big entry? It’s that sideboard you pointed out when I first came in here to look around.”
“What the hell—heck’s a sideboard?”
Kate laughed. “At least you’re trying. A sideboard is what they used to set food on years ago. I think its solid mahogany and would be perfect for the same purpose once the inn’s up and running. What do you think?”
“Give me a hand, and we’ll move it into the light.”
After she and Colton hauled the sideboard to the front of the barn, she began sanding away layers of dirt and varnish. She had to admit she liked the barn and considered getting it fixed up. That is, if there was enough money left on her construction loan.
Unseasonably hot, Kate sweated in a tank top and didn’t blame Colton for removing his shirt. More than once she found herself sanding one spot in a slow circle to admire him as sweat glistened on his skin and muscles bunched with every move.
The rattle of heavy chains caught her attention. Bobby’s tow truck was heading for the barn with
Similar Books
