The Secrets of Bailey

Chapter 4

Jake turned to see a tall redhead with the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen glaring at him and the sheriff. Her hair was pulled back tightly in a bun, and she wore a heavy coat over navy blue scrubs. As the woman stomped to where they sat, Jake could see her porcelain skin had only the faintest dusting of freckles on her nose and cheeks. She was stunning, and he couldn’t help but smile at her when she stopped at their table.

“Ah, Miss Kaitie. Were your ears burning?” Sheriff Mullins grinned. “I was just tellin’ Jake here about you and showing him where your cabin is.”

“Why in the world are you showing a strange man, whom I do not know from Adam and does not live here, where I live?” Kaitie demanded.

“Now, Kaitie…,” Buddy tried to defend his actions before Jake cut him off.

Jake raised his hand to stop the sheriff from saying more. He nodded at Kaitie and said, “She is well within her rights to question why you would tell me where she lives. It shows she is cautious, and that is a good thing.”

Jake reached out to shake Kaitie’s hand and introduced himself. “Ma’am, I’m Dr. Jacob Taylor, professor of anthropology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. I’m here on winter break to camp and hike some of the wilderness surrounding Bailey. It happens that the area I am focusing on is not far from where you live. The sheriff pointed out where you live so that I could avoid you. The last thing I want to do is bother anyone or anything while I’m here.”

“I’ve heard that one before. Usually, it is right before we have to go find someone who got lost or carry out someone who did something dumb and got hurt,” Kaitie grumbled.

“I can’t promise that I won’t get hurt, but I can tell you that I have no intention of getting lost. If I am injured, I always carry enough emergency medical gear that I should be able to make it back as long as I haven’t been completely incapacitated. When I say incapacitated, I mean I have shattered both legs or my spine. If that does happen, I have an emergency locator beacon and a satellite phone. Unless I am unconscious, there is no reason you would have to search for me,” Jake said.

“That might be, but you still should not be out there,” Kaitie insisted. “That land is treacherous, and with the storms coming in, it will be even more so.”

“I can assure you that I am quite capable of dealing with the terrain and the weather. All of my gear is rated to withstand far more than what the storms in this area can dish out. I have also told Rhonda that if things become too dangerous out there, I will come back to town and stay at the inn. I might even make a point of staying close enough to come here and eat at least once a day,” Jake told her.

Rhonda came over with plates for Jake and Buddy. She smiled at Kaitie as she slid them before the men. “You want me to plate your lunch so you can eat with Buddy and Jake?”

“Thank you, but no. I’m picking up lunch for Allie as well. We have a packed afternoon, and tomorrow morning is the same because of the weather coming in. Everyone is trying to get everything done so they can hunker down before the snow arrives.” She looked squarely at Jake and continued, “Well, most people, anyway.”

Rhonda raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jake before saying, “Then come on up to the counter. I’ve got both your lunches ready for ya, and since I know how busy you are before a storm, I’ll throw in a couple of pieces of chocolate pie for ya. You and Allie can use the energy from the sound of it.”

The two women left the table and went to the counter. Jake scratched his head as he watched Kaitie for a moment before turning back to the sheriff. Buddy smiled at him and shook his head.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t think Kaitie likes me very much,” Jake smirked.

Buddy chuckled, “Really? You’re not sure? Heck, I could have told you that before she ever walked in here.”

“I must say, I’m a bit disappointed. Usually, it takes people a while before they hate me. It almost always coincides with when they take their first exam in one of my classes.”

Buddy laughed loudly. He wiped the tears from his eyes and said, “I don’t care how Kaitie feels. I like you, and I don’t think you will do anything reckless or needlessly dangerous. Let’s go over this map while we eat. I want you to have plenty of time to set camp for the night before dark.”

“I appreciate that. Putting up a tent in the dark is never fun. But even when it is broad daylight and a simple pop-up style, I always manage to put it on top of a rock… or five.”

“Been there…done that more than once,” Buddy laughed. “Let’s eat.”

-

Kaitie was eating in her office at the back of the clinic. She was on her computer researching the new stranger in town who seemed to be winning everyone over. As much as she hated to admit it, Dr. Jacob Taylor seemed to be precisely what he said he was. His social media was full of pictures of trips he had been on. Many were taken at dig sites and remote locations he had hiked days to reach.

“Who’s the hottie?” Allie, who worked double duty as the clinic nurse and receptionist, asked. She had stepped behind Kaitie’s desk to retrieve a patient file and seen Jake’s social media pulled up on the computer.

“The hottie, as you call him, is a professor from Lexington. In a bout of infinite stupidity, he has decided that camping out in the woods is a good idea, even with the storms coming in,” Kaitie grumbled.

Allie took the computer mouse out of Kaitie’s hand and began scrolling through the pictures on the screen. She would occasionally let out a hum and grunt as she paused to study different shots of the man. When she was done, she smiled at Kaitie and shook her head.

“Tell you what, Kaitie, if that man gets cold, you give him my address. I’ll be happy to warm him up,” Allie giggled. “I came in to get a chart and tell you that Rhonda called. She sent Junior and the boys out to your house to make sure that you have plenty of wood. She wanted me to remind you about a blackberry cobbler.”

“That cobbler is p*****t for the firewood,” Kaitie laughed. “You know how Junior and the boys are. They won't take a penny for work but are happy to take food.”

“Oh yeah, I know all too well. When they came out and cut that tree out of my mama’s yard, she paid with fried chicken and a German chocolate cake. It was well worth it. They cut all that old oak into firewood, split it, and stacked it. They said they knew neither of us could do it, so they were happy to do it. Matt was laughing about it later because he knew good and well that I could have done it myself if I needed to,” Allie laughed.

“That sounds about right. Junior and his sons will not allow you to refuse the help; bless their hearts,” Kaitie laughed.

“Speaking of help, my brother-in-law Gary will be over this afternoon or evening to check the clinic's furnace before the storms hit. He said if he gets frostbite while out taking care of everyone’s power, he wants to be warm when you treat it.”

“Why is he always so negative about things?” Kaitie asked, shaking her head.

“You got me. It drives me crazy, but my sister loves him and says she loves that because it is a part of him,” Allie said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I’ll stay and help him out since I live closer than you, and you have a cobbler to make.”

“Thank you,” Kaitie sincerely said. “Would you mind getting the room ready for Clint? He is coming in to have his leg looked at and the stitches removed.”

“Sure thing, Kaitie. I’ll put him in exam one and have everything ready for when he gets here.”

“Thank you, Allie,” Kaitie told her. “I will help as soon as I finish my lunch and call a few patients. They have appointments in the next few days, and if they are doing well, I will call in their meds now and have them come to see me next month rather than risk the weather.”

“Good plan. Take your time. I know you just want to spend more time ogling those pictures of your mysterious stranger,” Allie laughed as she left Kaitie’s office.

Kaitie smiled and shook her head at her nurse. They had been friends since childhood and knew everything about each other. Kaitie had to admit it. Allie was right. The man was handsome. From their brief meeting at the café, he was polite, intelligent, and had common sense to go with his looks. As she thought about him, she could feel her cheeks become hot as she blushed. That irritated her. The last thing she wanted was to like the professor or be attracted to him.