“Have you talked to the mechanic?” she asked as they walked down the main street toward the café. She knew Collin had to be as anxious as she was to get out of this town, even before what had happened yesterday. The sidewalks and highway had been plowed, but new snow had formed more drifts they had to navigate around.
“He didn’t answer. It’s early. I’ll have breakfast with you and then go check,” he said and reached for her arm as they came to a slippery part of the sidewalk.
She wanted to pull free. To tell him that she wasn’t an invalid. But she bit her tongue. The bump on her temple said otherwise—at least to Collin. Nor did she point out that he’d never liked an early breakfast and usually didn’t want to eat until around lunchtime.
It was obvious what was going on. He was protecting her from herself, afraid she might foolishly visit the woodworker again. Or maybe see someone else in town who looked like her dead husband?
Once in the warmth of the café, they shrugged out of their coats and took a booth. As she looked around, Kate felt embarrassed by the looks the other patrons gave her. She knew they were probably just interested in any strangers who’d arrived in their town. But she felt as if everyone knew what she’d done yesterday. She tried to assure herself that they couldn’t know. But today they seemed even more curious about her and Collin than they had been yesterday.
Excusing herself, she went to the ladies’ room. More than anything, she needed a few moments to herself. Collin had been hovering over her all morning. She took a few deep breaths and splashed cold water on her wrists. Maybe she’d lived without a husband for too long. Over the years, she’d prided herself in her ability to be self-sufficient.
Now she wondered if she was ready to lean on anyone, let alone lose her feeling of independence. She wanted a man to be her equal partner. Not someone who felt he had to take care of her.
She couldn’t help those thoughts. The engagement ring seemed to hang on her ring finger. She really had to get it sized. She found herself staring at it, questioning if she was doing the right thing for not just herself but Collin, too. He hadn’t known what he was getting into. But now he knew at least some of it. She really doubted he knew how much she still loved Danny and always would.
But she loved him, too. She wanted this adventurous future he was offering her. Just because she’d made this one mistake here in Buckhorn, it didn’t have to define their relationship.
As she came out of the ladies’ room, she saw Collin talking to a woman who appeared to be in her mid-fifties. A plaited gray braid hung along one shoulder. She wore an apron liberally dusted with what appeared to be flour. Kate caught enough of the conversation that she realized he’d been questioning the cook about the woodworker.
She felt her face flush with mortification. As if she wasn’t embarrassed enough by her behavior yesterday. Worse, the way he was questioning the woman, he made it sound as if the woodworker had done something wrong.
As she approached, Collin glanced up and shut up. He gave her a guilty look as the older woman excused herself and went back into the kitchen. Kate said nothing as she passed him and headed back to their table. He joined her. She could tell that he knew she was angry. Just as she could tell that he didn’t want to argue, especially here in front of half the town.
“If it’s all right,” he said quickly, “I’m going to run down to the garage and see what is going on. I heard on the news that a lot of the highways are closed. This storm doesn’t seem to be letting up.” He sounded nervous, and she realized it wasn’t just because he’d overstepped a few minutes ago asking the older woman about the woodworker. He was getting as antsy as she was, being trapped in this place. More so after yesterday.
“Go. I’m fine,” she said, glad to see him leave, but far from fine.
He nodded uncertainly but was smart enough to not stick around and question her further.
She didn’t dare glance around to see if she was still being watched. She knew she was. She thought about skipping breakfast altogether and going back to the motel room. As she started to reach for her coat, a young pregnant waitress she’d heard someone call Lindsey rushed up to take her order.
Kate slumped back in relief. She wasn’t hungry, but eating gave her an excuse to stay. Even with people curious about her, it was better than that dark motel room.
Lindsey had just left to put her order in when Kate looked up to see the older woman Collin had been talking to earlier standing next to her table.
“Mind if I join you?” the woman asked and didn’t wait for an answer as she slid into the booth. “I wanted to welcome you to Buckhorn. I’m the café owner. In the summer I also run the bakery on the edge of town.” She held out her hand. “Bessie Walker.” Bessie smelled of yeast, sugar and cinnamon. Her smile was welcoming, just like her bright blue eyes.
“Kate Jackson.” She shook the warm smooth hand.
“I see you’re engaged,” Bessie said.
Kate looked down at her left hand. Seeing the ring on her finger startled her. “It was recent.” She thumbed the band to straighten the diamond. “I’m not used to it yet.”
“Seems to me it doesn’t quite fit.”
“Yes, it’s a little too big. I haven’t had time to have it sized.”
“That, too,” Bessie said and smiled. “Your fiancé...”
“Collin Matthews,” Kate provided.
“He was asking about Jon,” the woman said, meeting her gaze and holding it.
Was that the woodworker’s name? “Jon?” she repeated. Not Daniel. Not her Danny. She felt her cheeks heat. Just as she’d feared, everyone in town knew.
“Jon Harper,” Bessie said. “I believe you met him yesterday. He runs a woodworking shop out of the old Aldrich carriage house. Talented man. I sell what he makes at my bakery during the summer months. That’s when we get the most tourists through town.”
Kate couldn’t imagine enough people came through and bought his handmade wood products to keep the man fed.
“He likes to work in his shop, keep to himself.” Bessie shrugged. “People in Buckhorn respect each other’s...quirks.”
She knew what the woman was trying to tell her. Just as she couldn’t help asking, “Has he been here long?”
Bessie hesitated. “Showed up in summer about five years ago. His truck broke down. Like you, he was waiting for a part to come in. By the time it did, he had rented Mabel Aldrich’s guest cabin. Mabel’s husband, Frank, was a woodworker and had all the tools. Frank had died that spring, so she told Jon he could use them and the carriage house.” She finished as if that was either all she knew about Jon—or all she figured Kate needed to know.