The Secrets of Bailey

Chapter 2

Kaitie was on her way to the Bailey Café to pick up her breakfast before she went to the clinic. After she had parked her SUV, she watched a man walk out of the café and wave to Rhonda as he left. The man appeared to be in his late thirties to early forties. He was tall and well-built with dark hair. He looked like he worked out often or was at least active enough to stay healthy and have considerable muscle. Kaitie did not know who he was, but she did know he was not a local.

Kaitie sat in her vehicle and watched the man go to his SUV. She huffed with annoyance as she looked closely and saw the University of Kentucky employee sticker on it. It was nearly Christmas, and the last thing she wanted to deal with was some overly educated, under-prepared know-it-all getting lost or hurt.

She waited until the stranger pulled out of the parking lot and was heading out of town before she got out of her vehicle. The weather was already turning as the storm system neared, worsening her mood. The wind whipped around her as she entered the café and was greeted by Rhonda’s smiling face.

“How are you, Miss Kaitie? I have your breakfast all ready to go,” Rhonda chirped at her. She looked closely at Kaitie and asked, “Are you alright, Kaitie?”

“That depends. Who was that guy who just left?” Kaitie growled.

“His name is Dr. Jacob Taylor. He’s an anthropology professor at the University of Kentucky,” Rhonda answered with a smile.

“Why is he here?”

“He is doing some hiking and camping while he is on winter break.”

“If he plans on doing that now, with the storms that are moving in, he is a well-educated i***t,” Kaitie scoffed. “Either that or he is out of his mind to think that is a good idea.”

“I don’t know. I sat and talked with him until others started to wander in for breakfast. Jake seems like a nice guy, and it sounded like he knows what he is doing,” Rhonda defended him.

“Jake?” Kaitie questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes. Jake,” Rhonda answered. “He plans on camping out near you, so you might want to keep an eye out for the handsome stranger.”

“Handsome stranger or pain in my backside when I get called at two o’clock in the morning to go out and help save him from his own stupidity in the middle of a blizzard?” Kaitie asked.

“You are just a great big ole Debbie Downer today, aren’t you?” Rhonda laughed.

“Whatever,” Kaitie scowled as she took some money out of her pocket. “How much do I owe you for breakfast?”

“Nothing. It’s my treat today. You need something to cheer you up,” Rhonda told her as she smiled at her friend. “Seriously though, Hun, what is going on with you today?”

“It is a combination of things. The newspaper article that will make every nut job in the country flock to us is the biggest one. Besides that, I am getting ready for these storms that are moving in, and to top it off, this weather is giving me a migraine. All of that combined is going to make today a very long day.”

“I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well. My mama is having the same problem this morning. She woke up with a terrible headache,” Rhonda told her. “Seriously though, give the professor a chance. I don't think he is one we will have to worry about. He was telling me about some of his other trips, and he seems to know what he is doing.”

“I hope you’re right, but that doesn’t solve the problem of that article in the paper.”

“Try to forget about it,” Rhonda told her. “That silly paper runs those all the time. They think it’s good for the town because it brings tourists to the area. At most, we get a few loons who come in and think they see something but never get any proof. I think this weather will keep them all away this time.”

“I hope you’re right,” Kaitie sighed. “But the weather didn’t keep your professor away, did it?”

“No, but he is more into camping and exploration than hunting for monsters.”

“Either way, being here this time of year and with the kind of weather we are going to have, it is just a matter of time until I have to deal with him,” Kaitie grumbled. “Thanks for breakfast. I have to get over to the clinic. I have early appointments today so that everyone can prepare for these storms.”

“Do you have plenty of firewood split and ready to go? If not, I can send Junior and the boys out to do that today while you’re at the clinic.”

“I should, but I wouldn’t turn it down if they wanted to split some more for me. Tell them I will do free splinter removal for them if they do,” Kaitie laughed.

Rhonda grinned, “Nah, just promise them a blackberry cobbler when the berries come on next year. For that, they’ll split all your wood and then go out and cut you more.”

“I canned berries this year, so they won’t have to wait that long for their cobbler. If they are there when I get off work, they can stick around for coffee, and I will bake it fresh for them.”

“As soon as Junior and the boys finish the morning chores on the farm, I will send them out.”

“Thanks, Rhonda,” Kaitie smiled. Her mood had improved after talking to Rhonda. “And thanks for breakfast.”

“You’re welcome, Kaitie,” Rhonda said, waving to Kaitie as she left the diner.

Rhonda was still smiling as she took the freshly brewed carafe of coffee over to the sheriff and topped off his cup. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and smirked.

“What?” Rhonda asked him, feigning innocence.

“Why are you talking up this city guy so much to Kaitie?” the sheriff asked.

“I’m not talking him up to anyone. He seems different from most of the yahoos who come through here. I think he’s telling the truth about why he was here, and it seems like the professor knows what he is doing. He showed me pictures of some of the places he has been, and I think he will be fine out there unless he has some kind of freak accident,” Rhonda explained.

“We have quite a few of those around here, ya know,” Buddy said as he sipped his coffee. “I have to side with Kaitie on not wanting anyone out there right now. Skilled or not, it is a bad idea with the weather we will be getting.”

“I told him that, and he agreed that if the weather gets too bad, he will come into town and stay at the inn until it is safe to go back out. From how he talked, he might even be coming back for breakfast daily and to check in. He knows in that area all his gadgets might not work the best, so he would rather be safe than sorry about the weather,” Rhonda told him.

The sheriff grunted, “Hmf… I still need you to write down his name for me so I can do a little checking on him.”

“I can do you one better,” Rhonda said as she reached into her apron and pulled out a card. “The professor left me a few of his business cards. We talked about some places he might like to hike to, and asked me to call him and leave a message for him if I think of others.”

“It looks like my day will be making sure the emergency plans are in place and everything is ready for the storms, plus checking out this guy,” Buddy grumbled as he took the business card from Rhonda.

“Great! Now you and Kaitie are both in a bad mood because of him, and you haven’t even met him,” Rhonda said with a scowl. “You two are something else. You know that? Why can't you give him the benefit of the doubt?”

“Nope. Me and Miss Kaitie have had to deal with too many dumb city folks coming out here, trying to be bigshots, and we have to go out and save their sorry backside from something.”

“Why don't you call the professor and ask to meet him for lunch or dinner today? Tell him it is because you want to give him the best information about the area if the weather gets bad. He hasn’t been gone long. You watched the man finish his breakfast and leave. You should still be able to reach him,” Rhonda suggested.

The sheriff stood, pulled out his wallet, and tossed money onto the table. “I might do that as soon as I get to the office. I’ll see you for lunch, Rhonda. Tell your husband ‘hello’ for me.”

“You tell him. He’s your cousin,” Rhonda laughed.

Buddy chuckled as he patted her on the shoulder and made his way out of the diner. When he got in his patrol car, he looked at the business card closely for the first time. He hoped Rhonda was right about the professor. The storms predicted to hit later in the week could be killers. The last thing he wanted was for someone camping to be a victim of them.