Read Online Cutter Mountain Rendezvous by Barbara Weitz - Free Book Online Page B

antibiotic and bandages.” She started to stand.
    “Sit. You can get it later.” He clamped a warm hand over her knee. As quick, he let go to lock his heavy-lidded burnt-honey gaze on her. His tousled hair shone golden in the morning sun. “Didn’t you hear me shouting?”
    “No.” She tipped her coffee cup against her dry lips. The intimacy of the moment made the construction pile a safer place to stare, thinking last night was the best night’s sleep in months. Secure with a man in the house. “Slept like a log last night. After the long day yesterday, I nearly missed getting Lindsay off to school this morning. Did you get a good look at him?”
    “What makes you think it’s a him?”
    “Because you said him .”
    A grin curled at the corner of his mouth. “It was hard to tell one way or the other. The kid ran like the devil himself was on his tail.”
    “Aha. So it was a him and not a her ?”
    “Just saying, why always assume a male?”
    “Because I doubt a girl would be roaming these woods at night.” She reprimanded herself for fueling the silly fray and let out a long exaggerated sigh. “Do you always look for an argument when you roll out of bed?”
    “I don’t consider this an argument. It’s an exchange of ideas, and you offered a very logical opinion.”
    “You know what, Colton. My ex and I had vicious arguments. Once I saw how it frightened my daughter, I made a conscious effort to stop. I wasn’t always successful with my marriage falling apart but I did try.”
    She went into the house with him protesting at her heels. “Did I raise my voice or holler?”
    “No.”
    “Curse or say anything that wasn’t true?”
    “No.”
    “Did I compliment you on making a good point?”
    “No, I mean yes .” She shook her head, dizzy from his counterpoints.
    “Then it isn’t arguing.”
    Kate couldn’t hold back the bark of laughter at his logic as they entered the kitchen. This was an argument no matter how low their voices. One she wasn’t winning until she filled him with coffee and food and he was fully awake. Ballplayer or not, this man was not a morning person.
    She retrieved bandages with a tube of antibiotic from the cupboard and set them on the kitchen counter. “Keep your foot clean and dry. Use the antibiotic several times a day.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “How about a stack of pancakes with fresh blueberries for breakfast?”
    “Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a wide grin and snitched a piece of cold, crisp bacon off a plate on the counter before sipping the coffee she poured into a yellow mug. “Man, I feel more human already.” He leaned a hip against the counter. “I could get used to this bed-and-breakfast stuff.”
    “As you said last night, this isn’t a normal bed-and-breakfast experience.” Batter for six large pancakes was poured onto the hot griddle. Then she sprinkled fresh blueberries across them. “If it were, you’d be eating in the foyer’s guest communal area not the privacy of my kitchen.”
    When that didn’t get a comment, she observed him stirring cream and way too much sugar into the black brew. “What should I do about the construction-pile thief?”
    “I’ll be better prepared to catch him next time. Once we know what he’s up to, then we’ll know how to handle it. If it’s just a kid wanting scraps, we’ll make sure he takes them in daylight. Then I’ll call to get the pile hauled away.”
    “We’ll? I’ll?” Her eyes blazed. “Is it your God-given nature to grab hold of everyone’s business and make it your own?”
    “Just being helpful.”
    “You know what I think your problem is?”
    “What’s that?” He sidled up closer to watch her flip the pancakes.
    “I think you stand out there on that pitcher’s mound and the whole universe revolves around you. You like it that way.”
    “Interesting.”
    “Then when you’re off the mound, you just keep on orchestrating everyone’s life because you can’t help yourself.”
    “No,