Chapter Eight

 

Cat quickly crossed Josef’s lawn toward Elaine’s and peeked over her shoulder. Josef shook his head. Eleven years, and his body warmed the instant he kissed her. Did she feel the same thing? She must’ve. She’d allowed him to deepen the kiss.

He strolled through the house to the patio, Elaine’s will on his mind with regard to its effect on Catherine. Why didn’t Cat have a relationship that lasted longer than a month? Was she serious? Her mom had talked about how first school consumed Cat’s life, then work and now her animal rescue.

The horses needed a new home. The farm would give her a place to put them. He had had every intention of proposing tonight but was thrown off when she mentioned cheating on him.

Josef lounged with arms folded behind his head. He didn’t need the money Cat would get when she married, but he did want the land. Land that should be his. Not Cat’s. He should’ve gotten it back in the will—without a marriage.

The story he heard growing up was real. About the poker game and the bet his great-grandfather put on the table. Neither he nor his family ever held a grudge against Cat’s family. It became the tale to tell the children, grandchildren and on down the line. He never wanted the land as much as he did now though. Elaine leased the land to him. Desire for the land grew over the years, as did his understanding of why farming the land was important to his family and the world. He believed his destiny was to regain the land for his family. Gordon died, and Josef assumed, when Gordon and Elaine died childless, they would will it back to the Garrison family. With that option no longer plausible, he would do what needed to be done.

He’d get his land. Marry Cat, have it last long enough for her to receive the full trust fund rather than the church, get a divorce and get the land. She could have the farmhouse and buildings. One way or another, the land would be his.

* * * *

Sunday morning Catherine strolled to the barn. Opening the red wooden door, the strong smell of fresh hay engulfed her. Her senses came to life. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The memory of children’s laughter played in her mind. Eyes opened to see the rope hanging from the rafters where they would swing and drop into the hay piles.

Eyes down now, shuffling along the floor, she remembered the trap door that led into the stalls below. The well-worn iron ring was cold to the touch. She lifted the heavy door by the ring, letting it fall back with a thud on to the wood floor. Peering through the opening to the cement floor below, she missed the sounds of cows, pigs and chickens. Nothing but emptiness now.

Despite the silence, she heard something. And it wasn’t her imagination.

Mewing from the haystacks. At the edge of the stacks, straining to hear for a sense of what direction to look, she climbed and moved to the left. There they were—a litter of kittens. She guessed them to be at least four weeks old. Mama cat wasn’t around, probably out hunting for food. Catherine wouldn’t intrude on the small family; however, she would periodically check on them.

Outside, she hopped down over the wood retaining wall where the slope was, as the barn was built into a hill. Although there were no cows, the aroma of manure was present when she strolled through the lower level of the barn. Her hand ran along the round metal gates of the cow stalls. This would’ve been the horses’ new home. Saddened by the thought, she exited the barn.

She hustled up the slight incline, approached the swing and yanked the heavy ropes to test them. A little weight on the seat and a tight grip on the side ropes, in case the seat failed, she kicked out and set the swing in motion.

The old school bus parked by the shed caught her attention. She and the foster kids had played school in the thing for hours on end and take turns being the bus driver. Catherine smiled at the memory. They all loved pretending to drive and pull the lever to open the door, which would make the Stop sign pop out from the side.

Her legs pumped back and forth, propelling the swing higher and higher into the air. Then she let it slow and wondered again about Josef and marriage. If she married, she’d get the farm—and money too. Money would be nice but not necessary. The barn was necessary. She’d have a place to put the horses, and the dogs would have space to run, far more than her small townhouse offered. There were a lot of possibilities the farm could offer Four Hooves and Paws Rescue. But marriage?

The swing stopped, and she got off with a heavy sigh. Entering the kitchen, her stomach growled. The radio filled the quiet house with a little noise while she fixed a sandwich. A loud mechanical moaning came from the basement followed by a wet splashing. She jumped at the noise and cautiously walked to the basement stairwell door.

She didn’t want to venture to a place she didn’t like, not even to check out a strange noise. Opening the door, she flipped the light switch and peered down the stairs. Splashing. Water ran somewhere in the basement.

“Damn it,” she exclaimed, slamming the door shut.

Her back rested against the closed four-paneled wood door. A battle raged in her mind.

You need to go and see what’s going on.

No, I don’t. Josef owns this now. It’s his responsibility.

Just try to go down the stairs and get a better look.

“Fine, I’ll go take a look.” She turned, grabbed the clear glass doorknob and slowly opened the door as though a monster were going to jump out and attack. Her stomach knotted. Alone in the house, chances were she wouldn’t find anyone dead down there, but it always came back to haunt her.

Through the open door, she placed a foot onto the first wooden plank. She swallowed the lump in her throat as her breath quickened. The other foot, another step. Her body trembled. Another step and a sickening wave of terror rocked through her body.

Catherine turned, racing back through the basement door and out the back screen door. Walking around the big oak, she breathed in and out until she could breathe through her nose. After the third lap, feeling calmer and more in control, she entered the house and grabbed her phone. She dialed and waited for Josef to answer.

“This is Josef. Leave me a message, and I’ll get back to you.”

“Josef, it’s Catherine. I need your help. I’m sure the water heater went out because there’s water in the basement. Come over ASAP.” She sat at the kitchen table and finished her sandwich.

What was she going to do? No air conditioning was one thing, but no hot water was a different story. It appeared cold showers were in her future.

Gravel crunched from an approaching vehicle twenty minutes later. His truck pulled into the roundabout and parked behind her pickup.

Catherine met him on the steps. “I didn’t expect you here so soon.”

“Well, if there’s water in the basement, ya don’t have time to waste.” Josef walked to the back of the truck and opened the tailgate. “I brought my pump to get the water out. Then we’ll assess the damage.”

Josef wiggled his way into water waders, put a bulky roll of tubing over his shoulder and grabbed the large pumping mechanism. “I’m assuming ya haven’t gone down there yet?” He peered back at her.

“I tried, but I couldn’t do it.”

“What is it with you and that basement?” He set the pump on the ground. “Ever since you were little, you’ve never liked going down there. You afraid of the boogeyman getting you?” He chuckled, but she didn’t find it funny.

“No. Maybe it’s the steep narrow stairs, stone walls, dirt floor and lack of windows down there. I don’t know. I get crept out.”

“Well, let’s get to work.” Josef walked in and straight for the basement.

“What do you want me to do?” She followed as far as the top of the stairwell.

He turned on the second step and looked at her. “Come stay at my place.” He stated it plain and simple, continuing down the wooden staircase and stepped into water. He turned with a stern face. “Shit, Catherine! Why didn’t you shut the water off?” and disappeared from sight.

She winced. It couldn’t be helped. She tried going into the basement but couldn’t. There was mumbling from the basement, but nothing clear could be made out because of the splashing. He probably cursed her with each step.

He came around the corner dropping an end of the black tubing in the water and unwound it up the stairs. In the narrow passageway, his chest brushed against hers, and their eyes held. A connection bore into her soul. Warmth swept over her body, while her nipples perked, exposed through the thin layers of her shirt. Something was there between them. He jogged down the back steps, she trailed behind, and he fired up the pump.

“I tried to go down, Josef. I just couldn’t do it. I’m sorry,” she yelled over the loud humming.

Water from the hose splashed onto the dry soil.

“It’ll be fine,” he stated irritated as he bent over the machine. Standing, he glanced at her and walked to his truck. “Pack your things and stay at my place.” It was a statement rather than a suggestion.

“Why?”

“You’ll need a place to stay.” His tone softened as he slid the water waders off, an action she found oddly sexy.

“How long is this going to take?”

“Probably until tomorrow and you’ll be without water. With a busted pipe, you can’t do dishes, bathe or use the toilets. I shut the main water off. So why don’t ya pack your bags and come stay at my place?” He tossed the waders into the back of the pickup.

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. I can eat out.” Staying at his place would be too challenging for her wanting body.

“What about the bathroom?” He leaned against the tailgate.

“I’ll take you up on using your facilities.” Score one for Josef, pointing out the lack of bathroom facilities.

“Okay, suit yourself. But know the door is always open.” Behind the truck’s wheel, he added, “I’ll be by to see how things are progressing.”

Waving good-bye, she watched him drive away. I’ll be just fine. The pump hummed loudly. The water gurgled and flowed through the tube as it made its way outside. The noise wore on her. She had to leave.

Catherine unleashed the dogs. “Come on, boys. Let’s go for a ride.” She held the door open to the pickup cab. Darby and Fuzzy jumped in. Fritz with his healing injury took a little time. “Should I go stay with Josef?”

Darby barked in response.

“I’m not sure that’d be a good idea.”

She earned another response from the Lab.

“Why? If he were to kiss me again, I’m not sure I could back away. Nope, I think we’ll stay where we are.”

Fritz’s head hung out the window with the wind blowing the fur from his face. His tongue hung out to the side. She giggled. The tension through her shoulders and back released. What’s done was done. She laughed the situation away.

Approaching the business district, she slowed until she spotted the hardware store. “I’m going to see if Harvey’s working the register.” Pulling into the small parking lot, she put the windows part way up so the dogs couldn’t hop out, but got the fresh air they needed.

The bell on the door clanged, the same bell from her childhood. The familiar, musty old smell hung in the air. A clean, fresh coat of paint brightened things though. The shelves were rearranged, but the front register looked the same, with the five and ten-cent candy sitting in the same spot.

Old man Harvey sat behind the register, and she smiled. “Harvey, how are you?” She approached the counter, and the bald-headed man stood.

Before she could remind him of who she was, he said, “Catherine Mornelli. My, how you’ve grown. You’ve got your mother’s beauty.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said as warmth spread from her neck to her face. “You’re looking good. How’s business?”

“Slow but steady. Enough to stay in business. Is there something I can help you with today?” Harvey stepped from behind the counter.

“I stopped in to see you and check out the candy selection.”

“You’re such a nice girl. Sorry about Elaine. She was a special lady.” Sadness crept over his face.

“Thank you. That means a lot.” Catherine’s gaze wandered over the selection of old time candy. “I love that you still have this stuff.”

“Had to raise the prices. It’s a little higher than what you’ll remember spending as a kid.”

“It’s worth it.” She put a box of Boston Baked Beans and a roll of assorted Necco Wafers on the counter and paid him a dollar fifty. “Thanks, Harvey. I may be back for another fix before I leave town.”

He raised his hand in acknowledgment, and the bell rang overhead as she exited. The box of beans rattled in her hand as she approached the truck. The dogs wiggled at the sound.

“This isn’t for you guys. It’s my special treat.” She opened the box and poured out a handful, popping a couple in her mouth. After sucking for a short moment, she crunched past the smooth candy-coated shell and through to the peanut. “Just like I remember.”

All three dogs stared as though she were crazy.

“It tastes good,” she said to them and tossed another handful into her mouth.

 

Catherine returned to the farm. With the dogs on their leashes, she grabbed the bag containing kitten food and bowls from the back of the truck. To avoid the loud obnoxious engine of the pump, she opened the barn door. The kittens mewed. Time to step in. Eagerly the kittens pushed each other at the bowls while they devoured the food. What happened to their mother? Did she leave in the hunt for food and get killed? Or did she just abandon them?

The bowls emptied, the kittens mewed in protest as she left.

“I guess you’re mine now.” She faced the six of them. “We’ll need to set a few ground rules though.” Careful not step on one of the tiny creatures, she continued outside.

“First rule, you will not be allowed into the house. You are barn cats and need to keep the mice away. Secondly, well, I guess there are no other rules. You own this farm, just not the inside of the house.”

She set the bowls on the ground, sat on the swing and pumped her legs, mindful of the kittens. The kittens mewed for a short time and ventured about the yard. Catherine pumped her legs and with good momentum, the breeze she generated brought relief from the sticky humid air.

While in mid-air, she jumped off, stood, picked up the bowls and went into the house. She felt the grumble of her stomach. Dinner time.

No light shone from the interior of the refrigerator. No cool air escaped through the open door. She reached to grab the sandwich fixings—they were warm to the touch. Catherine slammed the door closed and yelled. “God, what else can go wrong?” She sank to the floor. “What am I going to do now?”