The Secrets of Bailey

Chapter 11

When Kaitie and Allie had finished treating Jake, they went to the living room to find out if Matt had found any information about Jake’s emergency contacts. They stepped into the room to see the contents of Jake's backpack covering the sofa and coffee table. Matt let out a sigh as he looked up at the two women.

“I got nothin’. I have searched through everything I can, and no one is listed as an emergency contact for the professor. It might be on his phone, but it’s locked, so I can’t check it. Looks like he’s all yours until he wakes up and can tell you,” he told Kaitie.

“It’s not like that will make a difference until the weather clears,” Kaitie grumbled. “Alright, you two need to get out of here while you still can.”

Allie squinted at Kaitie and said, “We will go, but if you need anything, you had better call. We can always use the tractor to get here if we have to. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Thank you, but I should be fine. On my way home, I went by the store and stocked up on everything. Thanks to your boyfriend and his family, I have plenty of firewood ready to go, so I'm all set even if the power goes out. I even pulled out my granny’s cast iron Dutch oven and got it ready to use in the fireplace if needed. I promise everything will be fine,” Kaitie assured her before turning to Allie’s boyfriend. “Matt, just leave the professor's stuff, and I will repack it as best I can.”

Kaitie walked the couple to the door. After giving Kaitie a quick hug, Allie hurried to the truck and got in to wait for Matt. He hugged Kaitie tightly and sighed as he looked at her in the doorway.

“Kaitie, I know how much you hate the snow and worry about us driving in it. But you call us if you need help. I mean that. I can always use the tractor or side-by-side and stay completely off the roads, so you don’t have to worry about anything happening,” Matt softly told her. As he spoke, he could see the pain and sadness form in her eyes.

Kaitie whispered, “I will.”

Matt gave her another quick hug before he jogged to his truck. When he got in and closed the door, Allie turned and glared at him.

“What did you say to Kaitie to upset her?” Allie demanded.

“I told her to call us if she needed help and that we would either take the tractor or side-by-side to stay off the roads. That way, she wouldn’t need to worry about something happening,” Matt sighed.

“That explains it,” Allie said, shaking her head.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to bring up bad memories for her, but Kaitie needed to know she has help if she needs it, and she doesn’t need to worry about calling us.”

Allie scooted as close to him as her seatbelt would allow. “Thank you for helping tonight and for telling her to call us.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Matt said with a grin. “We might not be blood, but we’re all family, and you help your family.”

“I’m still going to thank you,” Allie said as she put her hand on his thigh and slid it to the inside of his leg, brushing his crotch.

Matt’s face flushed as he eyed her and licked his lips. “Well, turning down a sincere thank you would be impolite.”

“Oh, it will be very sincere,” Allie grinned. “But we need to get back to your house if you want it.”

Matt laughed as he backed up and quickly turned around. As soon as the truck was in drive and heading toward home, he said, “Oh, yes, ma’am.”

-

Kaitie held her breath as she closed the door behind Matt. Tears were stinging her eyes as she braced her back on the door and let out an explosive, shaky breath. She knew Matt had not wanted to upset her. He only wanted to make it clear that if she needed help, she would have it, and she did not need to worry about him and Allie traveling in the snow.

Kaitie took a few slow, deep breaths before she pushed herself off the front door to begin repacking the professor’s backpack. She dropped onto the only empty cushion on the couch and had to laugh. Matt could not have made a bigger mess of things if he had tried. At least putting it all away would keep her mind and hands occupied for a while.

She picked up a fleece jacket and was instantly hit with the scent of Jake’s cologne, soap, and deodorant. It was manly and intoxicating to her. She tossed it down on the coffee table as she flopped back on the sofa, angry with herself for being affected by just the scent of his clothing. Allie might have been correct when she said Kaitie was going to be in trouble.

To distract herself, she went to the kitchen to check on the roast in the oven. She pulled it out and carefully basted it before checking the tenderness of the vegetables in the pan. She sighed as she put it back in to cook longer. It aggravated her that her plans for the night had not only been interrupted, but she now also had a house guest for the foreseeable future. One that she wished had never arrived in the area.

Kaitie frowned as she returned to the guest room to check on Jake. She stopped in the doorway and watched him as he lay in the bed. She was hoping she would see him twitch or something that would indicate he was regaining consciousness. Whether she liked him or not, she was concerned about his condition and would do her best to treat his injuries.

When she finished observing him, she quickly reassessed his condition. His pulse, blood pressure, and respiration were stable and within the normal range of where they should be. The bruise on his side had increased in size slightly but was nothing to be concerned about. She had to admit that when she checked his pupil response, she stared at his eyes longer than necessary. Those eyes would be her downfall. She could feel it, and she hated it.

She stomped back out to the living room and lit a scented candle. Katie began folding Jake’s things and stuffing them into his backpack as quickly as she could, as she muttered under her breath. She had hoped the candle's fragrance would cover Jake’s scent on his clothing, but all it did was add to the assault on her senses.

“Stupid. That’s what he is. Why would anyone be dumb enough to be out here in this weather or at this time of year?” Kaitie fumed as she worked. “And, of course… who has to deal with the fallout from the educated dumbbell’s stupidity? Me. Of course, it has to be me. They couldn’t leave him in the woods and let nature take its course. I mean, all that would have done was maybe teach people they should not come here and look for monsters. He is a professor. I’m sure he would have appreciated that.”

Kaitie stuffed the last item into the pack before she dropped onto the sofa. She did not mean what she had said. She did not want anyone to be injured and most definitely did not want anyone to die. For some reason, Kaitie felt overwhelmed by everything, which was a feeling she was not accustomed to. She was the one in control and often in charge of emergencies in the area.

She sat on the sofa, regretting how she had spoken about Jake as she watched the snow swirling outside. It was beginning to accumulate on her covered porch as the wind whipped it around. A soft meow caught her attention, and she turned to see her long-haired, brown tabby cat, Freckles, joining her on the sofa.

She smiled as he curled up in her lap and made himself comfortable. Kaitie was not looking for a cat when he was given to her. A young patient had brought him in and insisted that Kaitie needed Freckles. Somehow, the young man had been right. That cat helped her more than anything when she had a bad day. As he lay on her lap, Freckles kept sniffing the air and looking at the large backpack on the coffee table.

“I know, bud,” Kaitie cooed to him as she stroked his head. “We have a guest for at least a few days whether we like it or not. I can tell you are not so sure about him, and to be honest, I’m not sure about him either.”

A low moan came from the guest room, signaling that Jake was beginning to awaken. The cat shot his head up at the sound before dashing off Kaitie’s lap and into her bedroom. Kaitie chuckled and said, “I feel the same way, Freckles, and I would join you if I could.” Kaitie stood and readied herself to check on her patient before muttering, “Alright, let’s get this over with.”