Listen to Your Heart (20 page)

Jackson narrowed his eyes. “You know
about K class fire extinguishers?”

She nodded. “Yes. I worked in a kitchen
for a few years.”

A young woman with flyaway blonde hair
came into the kitchen.

Jackson stepped forward. “Kathy, I’m
glad you’re all right.”

She smiled up at him. “I wish I could
say as much for my kitchen.” She looked from Jackson to Amanda. “Sorry, do I
know you?”

Jackson put a hand at her waist and
guided her forward. “I’d like you to meet Amanda. She has some good news for
you.”

Kathy looked distracted. “I could use
some.”

“She found Rocky.”

“You did?” She looked around the room.
“Is he okay?”

“Yes, he’s fine. He’s in the truck,
sleeping I hope.”

Kathy’s shoulders dropped down a notch
and she smiled. “The kids are going to be so pleased. They’ve gone into town
with Dave for supplies. Thank goodness Carlos was here; he grabbed the fire
extinguisher right away.” Worried eyes surveyed the damage. “I hope the Health
people don’t close us down.”

Amanda surprised herself. “Not if you
clean this place up. She did a more thorough assessment of the mess. “What you
see is residue from the fire retardant. That can be cleaned up, but beyond that
this entire kitchen needs a good cleaning.” She stopped, realizing what she’d
said. “I’m sorry. This isn’t my business. Sorry I was so blunt.”

“No, you’re right.” Kathy nodded. “I’ve
been telling Tran to clean up for months now, but every time I bring it up he
conveniently forgets how to speak English.” She gave a wry smile. “It was my
own fault for letting him get away with it, but cooks are so difficult to find
up here.” She glanced at Carlos. “Carlos is a great help, but he doesn’t have
enough experience.”

“Cooks!” Amanda knew what she meant.
“Listen, I’ll just go out and get the dog and then if you can give me the name
of the nearest garage I’ll call a tow truck and get out of your way.” She hoped
she could get cell service up here; she’d never tried before.

The dog snuffled a little when she
picked him up, then burrowed down into her arms. “You’re home, little guy,” she
said and kissed the top of his head.

She looked up to find Jackson watching
her. “You’ve become attached to him, haven’t you?”

She was about to deny it, but that
seemed pointless. “I confess, I have. It’s that puppy smell, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” Jackson reached out and
patted the dog on the head. “They’ll have to keep him on a leash for a while. A
terrible fate for a curious puppy, but better than getting lost again.”

Amanda knew how the dog would feel.
After all, she’d been on a leash for the past couple of years. It wasn’t fun.
She nodded in agreement.

“There you are, you naughty puppy!”
Kathy gave Rocky an affectionate shake. “Would you mind waiting a minute?” she
said to Amanda, then took the dog and placed it in an enclosure at the back of
the building.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes and
addressed Amanda. “Jackson says you have some experience in kitchens.”

Amanda shot a look in his direction, but
couldn’t read anything in his expression. “I’m not a chef by any stretch of the
imagination, but I know my way around a kitchen.”

“I was wondering...” Kathy raised her
shoulders. “Would you be interested in working here for a while? I mean, I
don’t know where you were headed. You probably have somewhere to go, but I
thought I’d take a chance...” She looked at Amanda beseechingly. “I could offer
you free accommodation in one of our cottages. It’s an older one and fairly
small, but it’s quiet. And of course I’d pay you.”

Amanda thought about the luxurious
cottage waiting for her only a couple of miles away. Suddenly the idea of being
alone didn’t seem so appealing.

Kathy glanced toward the front of the property.
Most of the people who had been milling around when Amanda and Jackson arrived
had gone back to their cottages. “A lot of our guests rely on the restaurant
for meals. They come here to relax and fish; they don’t want to be bothered
cooking.”

Amanda nodded. “I can understand that.”
She made a snap decision. She would offer to help for a week. Hopefully Kathy
could find a replacement in that time. “Okay, I’ll give you a week.” She
glanced at Jackson and her breath caught in her throat. Her decision had
nothing to do with him. Nothing at all.

Carlos had been hovering in the
background. She turned to him with a smile. “Will Carlos stay and help? I have
a feeling we could work well together.”

“
Si, Senora
.” He stepped forward.
“What about dinner tonight? These people need to eat.”

Amanda thought for a moment. “We can’t
use the kitchen the way it is.” She turned to Kathy. “Do you have a barbeque?”

“Yes, we have a couple.” Her eyes lit
up. “Are you thinking barbeque for tonight?”

Her mind was racing. “Yes. I don’t know
what you think of the idea, but what if you offered hamburgers or hot dogs with
a bag of potato chips and a drink and an ice cream bar for dessert, and made it
free? It won’t cost you much and you’ll have a lot of happy campers.” She
laughed at her own joke. “Literally.”

“Brilliant.” Can you pull it off?

Amanda shook her head. “Not
me...Carlos.”

The young cook beamed.

“I’ll be cleaning the kitchen. It’s a
big job, but I’m confident that I can get it done if I start right away. We’ll
be ready to serve breakfast in the morning.”

Kathy gave her a quick hug. “You’re
amazing, you know that? I don’t know where you came from, but you saved the
day. Now I’d better get out there and deal with Tran. He needs to get to the
hospital so they can check out his burns. I have him slathered with
antibiotics, but I’d rather be safe.”

Jackson spoke up. “I’ll take him.”

Kathy looked at him gratefully. “Thanks,
Jackson. If you see Dave in town, ask him to come home, would you?”

The kitchen was even worse than she’d
thought; by her best estimate, it hadn’t been cleaned for several months. What
really angered her was that there was plenty of commercial de-greaser on hand.
She took a deep breath, pulled on some gloves and started to work.

She was taking a break when Kathy came
in several hours later accompanied by two blonde children.

“Kids, I’d like you to meet Amanda. She
found Rocky wandering in the woods.”

The girl clutched at her mother’s slacks
and hid behind her leg, but the boy came forward. “Thank you for finding him.”
He looked at her curiously. “Do you have any kids?”

The question caught her off guard. She
shook her head. “No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”

Wide blue eyes like his mother’s looked
up at her. “Hannah’s a girl. I’d like to have a boy to play with.”

Me too
, thought Amanda. She squatted
down. “Sorry about that. What do you like to play?”

“I like to fish,” he said proudly.
“Jackson says he’ll teach me, but he gets busy sometimes and has to go away.”
He looked toward the freezer. “Can I have some ice cream? Mom says I have to
ask you now.”

Kathy nodded and Amanda dug out an ice
cream bar for each child.

“You know the rules,” Kathy called after
them as they ran out. “Stay away from the dock.”

“Okay, Mom.” The children ran off.

Amanda watched them disappear then
turned to their mother. “So, how did the barbeque go?”

“It was a hit.” Kathy was looking around
the kitchen in amazement. “I’d forgotten that the kitchen was so bright.”

Amanda glanced around. “I’m not finished
yet, but we’ll be ready for breakfast.” She pointed to a list. “I took a break
and checked the cooler. You have a lot of out-of-date items in there that have
to be thrown out. Tran obviously never heard the old expression ‘When in doubt,
throw it out’.”

Kathy glanced at the list, put it down
without reading. “I trust you. Do what you have to do.”

Amanda pushed another piece of paper
across the counter. “I checked your supplies against your menu and I’m starting
a list of what needs to be purchased. Do you have a preferred wholesaler?”

“Yes, I have a binder with all that
information. Is it okay if we do that in the morning? We can’t call them until
then anyway.” She looked around the kitchen again. “You’ve done an amazing job
already, Amanda. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Amanda got up and
stretched. “Do you mind showing me the cabin? I’ll dump my stuff and then I’d
like to clean for a couple more hours.”

As they crossed the property Amanda
could see why it was so popular. Located on a scenic bay, it curved around on
itself, so that the cottages looked back toward the common area and the two
boat docks that stuck out into the water. A sandy beach was clearly marked off
from the boating area.

Kathy stopped and looked out over the
lake. A few clouds hugged the distant horizon, their undersides painted pink by
the setting sun. “I like to walk along the lakefront at this time of day,” she
said, almost to herself. “And I’m always thankful that Dave’s grandfather had
the foresight to buy this piece of property.” A small sigh escaped her lips. “We
love living here.”

“I can see why. It’s a great place to
raise kids.”

“Do you think so?” Kathy frowned. “I
sometimes worry that they aren’t getting much interaction with other children.
Of course Logan starts school in a couple of weeks but it’s not the same as
growing up in a neighbourhood full of kids.”

“Logan did say something about getting
tired of playing with Hannah. He seemed disappointed that Jackson didn’t have
time to teach him to fish.”

Kathy’s head came up and Amanda wondered
if that was caution she saw in the other woman’s eyes. Kathy studied her for a
moment before continuing. “Logan’s decided that Jackson is cool. I think it has
something to do with the hair.”

“He’s cool all right.” Amanda couldn’t
believe she’d said that. She shot a frantic look at Kathy. “Tell me I didn’t
say that out loud.”

Kathy shrugged. “Don’t worry. I’ve
thought the same thing myself.” A faraway smile softened her features. “There’s
something about him, isn’t there? Whatever it is, he’s got it in spades.”

Amanda laughed out loud; it felt good.
“Kathy Keane, shame on you, and you a married woman.”

Kathy nudged her. “Look who’s talking.”

They walked companionably along the dirt
road. At random intervals, trails wide enough for a car led to cottages nestled
among the firs.

There wouldn’t be a better time. Amanda
turned to Kathy. “What do you know about Jackson? All he said is that he takes
care of the boats for Dave.”

They continued in silence for a few
moments. Kathy appeared to be studying the ground. Then she raised her head. “I
don’t know much about him, actually. He and his brother and Dave all grew up
together but I hadn’t met Jackson until he showed up earlier this summer. He
stays in the boathouse and seems content with the little bedroom Dave set up
for him. As to anything personal, I know very little.” She grinned. “Maybe
that’s what makes him so intriguing.”

“It’s just...” Amanda searched for the
right words. “It’s just that he seems to be over-qualified for the job.”

Kathy sighed. “I thought so, too.” She
shot a quick look at Amanda. “Please don’t let on I told you, but I think he’s
getting over some emotional trauma. And no, I don’t know what that is.”

Amanda nodded. “I shouldn’t even be
asking about him.” She gave a little shudder. “If my husband knew...well...I don’t
like to think what he would do.”

“I’ve heard about those jealous types.”
Kathy’s tone was sympathetic. “But fortunately, I’ve never experienced it
firsthand.” Understanding flooded her face. “That’s why you’re up in this neck
of the woods, isn’t it? You’ve come to be alone, to get away.”

It felt good to talk about it; Vince had
made sure she didn’t have any close friends. “Yes. Vince is away at a
convention.” Tears flooded her eyes and she willed them back. “A week all on my
own, with no one to criticize, or put me down.” She paused. “Well, I suppose
it’s six days now. But I intend to enjoy every one of them.”

Kathy looked crestfallen. “I never
should have asked you. Here you are, trying to enjoy a few days on your own.
I’ll understand if you’d rather not stay....”

“No.” Amanda gave her a reassuring
smile. “I’m actually looking forward to it, looking forward to being around
people.”

“In that case, here we are.” Kathy
motioned to a trail leading to the last cottage along the waterfront. “Your
cottage.”

It was delightful. The compact kitchen contained a small
cook top and a half-sized fridge. In the bedroom, a welcoming hand-made quilt
covered the queen-sized bed. But the most appealing feature was the screened
porch. It overlooked a private water access and Amanda could see a groove in
the sand where a canoe had been pulled up. A pair of Adirondack chairs sat side
by side at the water’s edge and she looked at them longingly.