A Catamount Christmas

Chapter 5-2

Chloe walked slowly down the street perusing the various storefronts, carefully maneuvering with the air brace on her ankle. Catamount had a quintessential New England town green surrounded by small business housed in old classical structures. She’d fallen asleep in Dane’s warm embrace last night to awaken alone. He’d sent a text in the early hours of the morning.

I’m headed home. I have a few things to do in the morning. Will see you later on.

Simply reading his words sent her heart racing. Dane triggered fantasies and hopes she’d never considered. After her abrupt disillusionment with men and life last year, she’d formed this idea she’d hike the Appalachian Trail and come out of it strong and independent, never feeling like she needed a man ever again. This encounter with Dane was so otherworldly and so unlike anything she’d ever experienced, she had no idea how to incorporate it into whatever vision she’d had for herself. Her body literally craved him to a degree she should have found frightening. And yet, there was that strange comfort she felt with him. As if she’d known him forever.

A cheerful sign on an old colonial home caught her eye—Roxanne’s Country Store, We have Everything. Unable to resist exploring what ‘everything’ was, Chloe pushed through the door into a warm bustling space. She hadn’t realized she was as chilled as she was until she stepped inside. The late fall air blew in with her. Meandering through the aisles, she found Roxanne’s did have a bit of everything from groceries to hardware to gifts and odds and ends. There was a cluster of people on one side where there was a deli and coffee shop with small tables scattered nearby.

As she approached the area, she felt the eyes of many on her. She was nothing if not polite, so she smiled and nodded. A curvy woman with blonde hair coiled into a loose bun held in place with a pen stood behind the counter. “Hi there,” the woman in question called out. “Just visiting?”

Chloe moved to stand by the counter. “Yup. I was hiking the trail and sprained my ankle two days ago,” she said, gesturing to her booted foot.

The woman leaned across the counter to look. “You sure did. How did you get yourself off the trail?”

Chloe hesitated for a moment, unsure she could even say Dane’s name without blushing. Several others turned to look at her curiously. “I, uh, ran into a man on the trail, Dane. He helped carry me out.”

The woman behind the counter smiled widely. “You couldn’t have found a better guy to run into. I bet he also took care of that ankle for you,” she said with a wink.

Chloe blushed as she nodded.

The woman chuckled. “That’s Dane. I’m Roxanne, by the way.”

“Oh, is this your store? It’s great! You do have a bit of everything.”

Roxanne chuckled. “We try to.”

Chloe couldn’t help her curiosity about Dane. “How do you know Dane?”

“Hard not to know Dane if you live around here. His family’s one of the oldest ones in town. He and his sister are the fourth generation in their family here. He’s a good guy and damn good doctor. You’re lucky you ran into him out there.”

Chloe thought back to last night when she’d all but gone up in flames in his arms and considered that perhaps, she was lucky in ways Roxanne didn’t have in mind. But she smiled and nodded. “How long have you lived in Catamount?”

Roxanne didn’t hesitate. “Oh, I was born here, just like Dane. My grandfather started this store back when I was a baby. Named it after me from the start.”

“Hey Roxanne, any news about Callen?” A man asked as he approached the counter from the front of the store.

Chloe turned to see Jake who she’d met with Dane when they were having lunch yesterday. His eyes landed on her, and he smiled politely. He was tall and lanky with golden brown hair and blue eyes that shared the same cat-like quality Dane’s eyes had, titling at the corners.

“Not much. They ran another story about that mountain lion that got hit in Connecticut though,” Roxanne replied.

Though Chloe had now known Roxanne for a total of roughly three minutes, she sensed Roxanne was trying to convey something to Jake. Her curiosity piqued, Chloe watched Jake.

His eyes flicked to Chloe and back to Roxanne before he nodded. “Oh right. Yeah, people are flipping out over that one. Don’t know why they’re so damn surprised. My guess is mountain lions have traveled that far many times. Without something concrete like that tracking device to prove it, no one even thinks it’s possible.”

He turned to Chloe. “How’s your ankle?”

“Pretty good, but then it’s in this brace, so it’s not like it can move much. I’m hobbling around okay though.”

Jake nodded. “Glad you ran into Dane. Couldn’t have happened upon a better guy after you got hurt out there.”

Chloe nodded. “I know. I didn’t want to need a doctor in the middle of the woods, but finding one was a definite plus.”

Jake’s blue eyes searched her face. “So how long do you plan to stay in Catamount?”

She thought for a moment, feeling several pairs of eyes turn to her at Jake’s question. She had enough sense to know this was a small enough place that curiosity would run high about any newcomers. Though she couldn’t say she knew how long she planned to stay, she knew with certainty she wanted to stay long enough to explore whatever lay between her and Dane. What that meant, she didn’t know, but she wasn’t walking away. She decided the truth would be the best answer.

“I don’t know. But at the moment, I don’t have any plans to leave,” she replied simply.

Jake’s brows rose, prompting her to explain further. “When I decided to hike the Appalachian Trail, I didn’t have any plans for what I’d do when I finished. Now I’m here, so I figure I might as well stay a bit.”

Jake nodded, a slow smile spreading on his face. “Okay then. Well, make sure Dane shows you around. Ask him to take you out to Shadow Rock. Tell him I told you to.”

At that, he winked at her and turned to leave before she had a chance to ask him what he meant. Chloe looked back at Roxanne who had a speculative gleam in her eyes.

Unlike Jake, Roxanne didn’t bother with cryptic references. “So, Dane must like you then,” she said with a grin.

Chloe blushed, hating for the thousandth time that she was a blusher. She couldn’t hide what she felt. She held Roxanne’s gaze and shrugged. “Maybe?”

Roxanne burst out laughing. “Oh dear, he absolutely likes you. Do as Jake says and ask him to take you to Shadow Rock.”

“Where’s Shadow Rock and why should I ask Dane to take me there?” Chloe’s curiosity notched higher. It was clear they were trying to push her in a direction. She was uncertain about what they thought she needed to see…or know.

Roxanne’s laugh quieted and her gaze sobered. “I’ll keep it simple. It’s an important spot for Dane. If you like him anywhere near as much as it looks like you do, then you need to know what matters to him.”

Chloe didn’t know how it was possible, but she blushed even harder, her face hot. She ignored it. “How much does it look like I like him?”

Roxanne smiled, her smile soft and warm now. “Honey, you’re blushing like a schoolgirl. I may not know much, but I have some sense. Maybe it’s just a crush, but you don’t strike me as that type. And if Jake is telling you to ask Dane to take you to Shadow Rock, he knows Dane is in deep. Now if you ask me how that could happen so fast, I can’t tell you, but there’s a few areas I trust my instincts and matters of the heart are one of ‘em.”

Chloe felt Roxanne’s words jolt through her. Crazy though she’d have thought all of this a year ago, in this moment, it felt right and true. She took a deep breath and nodded, her blush fading the tiniest bit.

“Okay then. Well, I guess I’ll ask Dane to take me to Shadow Rock. Is there anything I should know before I do?”

Roxanne looked at her carefully and sighed. “Probably, but it’s not for me to tell you. Do me a favor and don’t forget that not everything is as it seems. We all have our heart underneath it all and that’s what matters.”

A prickle of awareness ran up Chloe’s spine followed by a flash of annoyance that Roxanne was now being as cryptic as Jake. She lifted her chin and eyed Roxanne. “Oh, so now you too?”

Roxanne appeared to know exactly what Chloe meant. She shrugged and grinned. “Hey, I’m as straight as I can be, but this is Dane’s to explain.”

“Fair enough. I’ll be asking him today.” She shifted carefully on her feet and turned to leave. “Nice to meet you, Roxanne.”

“Ditto. I hope to see you again soon,” Roxanne said with a wide smile.

Chloe walked out, disconcerted by the cryptic comments by Jake and Roxanne. She worried Dane was hiding something from her—but she trusted him. But then again, she’d trusted Tom and that had turned out to be a sham.