Finding Elizabeth (10 page)

The bell tinkled and Millie popped up from behind the old counter. “Morning, Jack.”

“Hi, Millie, I was outside and thought I’d ask if my flyer had created a stir.”

“Sorry. Nothing, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah, seems all I have so far—is nothing.”

The shop’s door swung open with a crash, bell jangling.

“Millie! Got those trees ya wanted.” A hulking figure in overalls and feather-down parka yelled.

“Thank you, Bill. Stack them against the wall next to the door, please.” She turned to Jack. “I’ll have to go and supervise, otherwise he’ll put them any old place.”

“Can I help?”

“Sure, if you wouldn’t mind. Ted’s at the post office; he’ll be back shortly, but Bill’s not inclined to wait.”

With a nod, Jack was off out the door. Bill had already started tossing fir trees onto the sidewalk. Jack quickly lined them up against the wall and just as he went back to stand next to the truck, Bill tossed another tree over the side.

Jack whispered to Millie, “Stay out of the way. This guy’s a gorilla.”

Giggling, Millie nodded, backed up, and snuggled further into her down-filled coat.

The truck took off, and Jack stacked the last tree with the others. “I’ll be off now, Millie. Let me know if you’ve got any news.”

“Of course we will. Thank you for your help, Jack.” Millie pointed at the nicest tree. “I want you to take that one home.”

“Thanks anyway, Millie, but a naked tree is just … sad.”

Millie’s face lit up. “Well,” she began, head to one side, a gleam in her soft brown eyes. “I was thinking, since you don’t want a tree, you could take one up to Kate’s. They always have a tree. The Bell cabin without a tree is unheard of. And considering what the family has been through, it’s just too awful to think about.”

“Uh huh.” Jack smiled at the twinkle in Millie’s eyes. “Not to have a tree is wrong. We should do something about that.”

Ted hurried across the road. “I see I’ve missed Bill. Sorry, got held up.”

“It’s okay, Jack helped out. And I’m arm-twisting him to take a tree to Kate’s.” Mouth pursed, she looked at Jack. “Though I don’t have to twist very hard,” she giggled.

“Except for our new pal here bein’ hauled in to the police, this is the best news I’ve heard all day,” Ted laughed.

“What! I see news travels fast around here. So you know they had the wrong man. I’m innocent.” Jack pulled a worried expression and slapped a hand over his heart.

With Ted’s help, Jack strapped an eight-foot Christmas tree, the best of the bunch, to the top of his car. He hopped in and with a wave took off for Mountain View Road. He parked his car at the top of the drive, hauled the tree down to the front door and laid it, trunk end first, on the steps. He was about to knock when strange noises echoed from the back of the cabin. He left the tree and ploughed his way towards the sounds of grunting and cursing.

Shit
, Katherine was going nuts stomping in the snow. She picked up a—what? a
carrot—
snapped it in half, and threw the bits as hard as she could, then went back to stomping. Should he go back, knock on her door? Go back and yell,
Hey, anyone home?

Crap
. It was too late; she could turn around any second. He thought the best approach was to relax as if nothing was wrong.

“
Morning
, Katherine,” Jack said cheerfully.

Heart thumping, Katherine squealed and spun around, ready to lash out at yet another invasion of her privacy.

Jack stood leaning against a corner of the woodshed.
Arrogant bastard
. Okay, so she was in a mood.

“You frightened the life out of me!” she yelled, and shot him an angry look, eyes flashing. “Wipe that stupid grin off your face! My fuse is about this short.” She raised her index finger and thumb, leaving a whisker of space between them.

“I can’t,” he pleaded, palms out.

He was wearing a snug pair of black ski pants and a matching jacket under his faithful sheepskin coat, with his favourite multicoloured hat pulled over his ears. He looked worn out but good, damn it, and Katherine’s anger began to melt, just a little.

“What’re you doing here?” Annoyed, she rationalised that her breathlessness was due to the energetic demolition of one snowman, and not the man still leaning against her shed.

Jack’s grin broadened. “I was on my way back from the police station.”

“Oh don’t tell me, you were booked for driving on the wrong side of the road.”

Amused, he shook his head. “They questioned me about loitering, something to do with a complaint.”

Shit!
She hated other people being dragged into her mess.

“At least it gave me the perfect opportunity to question them about Ellie, see if she had a record. They had nothing.” He gave a resigned shrug. “Ted and Millie said they’d ask around so I stopped in to see them. They had nothing. But they asked me to drop something off for you.”

“That’s nice,” she said flatly. “Leave it on the porch please. How long have you been watching me?” she asked, peeved. It was bad enough that Eric had been prowling around. Now here was Jack, large as life. “You look quite settled in. Why didn’t you speak before?” Kate went on. “I hate being spied on when I’m behaving like an idiot.”

“I’m sorry,” he said with obvious humour in his voice. “I heard noises and decided to investigate. Didn’t realise it was you until I saw you having the best tanty I’ve seen in ages.”

Hands on her hips, Katherine pulled a face. “What the heck is a
tanty?
”

“A tantrum,” he smiled. “I thought it best to let you get it out of your system. Besides, I think everyone needs to destroy—um, what was that you were stomping on?”

“A snowman.” Her eyes narrowed, daring him to say something.

“Right,” he nodded. “Everyone needs to destroy snowmen, sandcastles and the like. It’s good anger management.”

“Trust me,” Katherine growled, “this is not the time for witty sarcasm. And it’s
not
in my nature to destroy someone’s work of art. This was different; you wouldn’t understand, and it’s none of your affair.” Bristling with a bad temper, she added, “I came out here to chop some wood for the stove. As you seem infatuated with my shed wall, I’ll leave you two alone and get on with it.”

Jack chuckled and continued to lean with his hands in his pockets. “I’m going to ignore your remark, and your tone,” he said smoothly, and his self-possession riled her even further. “How about I chop the wood and you make us both a cup of coffee?”

“
What
is it about today?” she asked. Exasperation had her looking at the sky for an answer. “Is it a full moon or something?” She glared at him. “Did you forget to wear your hat and now your brain is frozen? Why don’t you just go about your business, and I’ll get on with mine; I’m quite capable.” She marched inside the woodshed for the axe, removed its leather cover, strode to the chopping block and set a large log on top. This had better split with one blow or she’d never hear the end of it.
Come on, for independent women everywhere
. She raised the axe over her head, grit her teeth and let it fall, splitting the timber in half. Perfect.

Suppressing a wide grin, she returned the halved log to the block. From the corner of her eye she saw Jack unbutton his coat. Was he getting ready to take over?
Huh, that’s what he thinks
. She lifted the axe and struck once more, splitting it again.

“Come on, Katherine, you’re scaring the crap out of me,” he said, advancing towards her. “You have to dance on Saturday. Let me take the axe.”

“
Whoa!
” She was sure lightning flashed from her eyes—could almost smell the smoke pouring out of her ears. “What cave did you crawl out of?”

“Hey, my cave is full of good manners,” Jack replied calmly. “My dad is old school. He’d be horrified if he thought I’d stood by while a beautiful woman chopped wood.”

“But if she wasn’t beautiful, that’d be okay, would it?” she snapped.

“No, it wouldn’t.” Jack extended his hand for the axe.

“Here! Take it,” she said, thrusting the axe at Jack. “There’s the pile—chop till you drop.”

“Thank you. I can always put the coffee on when I’m finished,” he grinned. “I haven’t got a chauvinist bone in my body.”

“Hah!” Katherine exclaimed. Gathering an armful of wood, she stomped towards the back door. She should have gone straight into the cabin, but lingered. She wanted to see if this Aussie non-chauvinist, who’d probably never handled an axe in his life, could chop wood as well as she could.

Jack rubbed the palms of his hands together, and gave her a wicked grin. “Does this mean you’re going to watch me?”

“In your dreams, Jack Riley,” she snapped, and strode through the back door of her cabin. She left Jack with the axe, the wood and a certain degree of confusion.

The moment Katherine opened the door, Bubbles gambolled out, woofing. She made happy noises and headed straight for Jack.

“That’s right,” Katherine called after the dog. “Go and make love eyes at the man with an axe.
Honestly
,” she muttered, closing the door and toeing off her boots. She busied herself making coffee and building a fire in the living room. From the kitchen window, she watched Jack rough-housing with Bubbles. When Jack had had enough, he raised both hands palms out. Bubbles took off and frolicked around the backyard, did a steaming dump in the far corner and took off again. She’d have to go out with her brand new pooper-scooper; on second thoughts, she’d need a shovel and a wheelbarrow.

It probably didn’t smell half as bad as her kitchen. Katherine wrinkled her nose; burnt plastic hung in the air. She grabbed a towel and fanned the room, which made little difference.

Damn Eric
. He was most likely empowered by the fact that he could invade her personal space and do what he damn well pleased. Katherine shuddered. There wasn’t much the police could do without evidence.
Shit, the evidence!
Damn him. If he dared to show his face again, hopefully she would have enough wits to take photos with her mobile.

The sound of chopping stopped, and movement near the shed caught Katherine’s eye. Jack had taken off his sheepskin coat and hung it on a hook attached to the shed. With his sleeves rolled up, the long muscles of his forearms were clearly visible. His thighs flexed hard against the firm fabric of his ski pants with every blow he made. His breath fogged in the icy air.

Look out. Hot man in the snow.

Off in a fantasy world … Jack on a warm beach … Katherine’s mobile phone rang, and she flinched. Phones had become the bane of her life lately. She rummaged in her bag, thinking this was no way to live, constantly wary. She let go a sigh and yanked out her phone.

“Hello. What?” she snapped and quickly stood on a chair looking for a connection. “Got it,” she said, leaning to one side.

“What’s up with you?” Leandra asked.

“Huh, what do you mean?”

“I was breaking the speed record coming down the front slope at Lake Louise and you popped into my head. Not a good time for that to happen.” Leandra’s husky laugh came down the line despite a noisy gaggle of people around her. “Just as well it was me when you answered the phone. I can handle your snippy-cranky-crabby-waspy side.”

“I am not!” Katherine complained. When Leandra didn’t react, she added, “Well, all right, I am a bit
snippy
. Where are you?”

“The Grizzly Bear Tavern has no mobile connection. The place is full of Germans, Swiss, Italians—ooh they’re nice—Australians!” Leandra raised her voice over loud music, clinking glasses, guffawing, and every second word starting with F.

“Why didn’t you ring the landline?”

“I did the other day and … nothing. Are you whispering? Hold on, come clean. There’s a man in the house.”

“You’re such a pushy—”

“Hey, be nice,” Leandra yelled. “I’m a caring friend, you’re the only one I share stuff with, and you have to reciprocate. So what’s happening right now?”

Katherine stooped and peeked outside. Jack looked right at home piling split logs in the shed.

“
C-o-m-e o-n
,” Leandra whined. “Speak, I’m running out of time here!”

Katherine rattled off the Eric’s ugly snowman, roses and photo story.

“
Eeywh!
What a creep. Never could relax around him, he had shifty eyes.” Leandra let out a grunt-breath.

“I haven’t told you yet, but I’ve adopted a dog. Bubbles. She tried to warn me early this morning, and I put it down to her new environment.”

“Love that you have a dog. What else?”

What the heck. Katherine told her everything.

“That’s great!” Leandra exclaimed warmly. “You’ve met someone who doesn’t need a straitjacket.”

“Yeah, and he’s outside with an axe!” Katherine announced, still stooping, not able to take her eyes off Jack.

“Is he looking for Eric?” Leandra laughed. “Sorry, couldn’t let that slip by.”

“I wouldn’t have either.” Katherine laughed. “The fact is, Jack’s only in Canada for a short time. Hope he finds ‘whoever’, and that will be the end of it. That’s why I’m not going to the Christmas dance.”