Read Online Lakeside Cottage by Susan Wiggs - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Wiggs
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girl truly seemed remorseful and embarrassed by the whole incident. Kate’s customary impulse to trust took over, and she nodded. “Okay.”
Callie gasped as Aaron and Bandit jumped out. When the dog wagged his tail and sneezed a greeting, she wrapped her arms around her middle and backed away. Her face changed from red to stark white. “I’m scared of dogs,” she said.
“Bandit won’t hurt you, honest,” Aaron said.
“Hold him anyway,” Kate advised, recognizing the terror in the girl’s face. “I’m Kate Livingston and this is my son, Aaron. And Bandit.”
“He’s mostly beagle,” Aaron said. “We call him Bandit because of the black mask on his eyes.” He pointed out the dog’s unusual markings but the girl withdrew even more.
“What are you doing here?” Aaron asked bluntly.
Callie looked a bit queasy. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and upper lip.
Oh, heavens, thought Kate. Was she sick? An addict? This was not good.
On the other hand, she reflected, the situation was terribly interesting. Kate reminded herself that she was now a freelance journalist. She thought she’d have to go looking for stories. Maybe a story had come to her.
“Let’s go inside,” she suggested. “Bandit can stay out.” He had a bed on the porch, one of those overpriced orthopedic sling beds from a catalog. Spoiled thing. Callie regarded Kate through narrowed eyes, but she went along readily enough. In the kitchen, her eyes widened as she took in the wealth of groceries on the counter.
Kate poured glasses of ice water for everyone and put out a bowl of Rainier cherries, summer’s most fleeting delicacy.
“Have a seat,” she said. “Tell me about yourself, Callie. How long have you worked for Mrs. Newman?”
“A few months.” The girl eyed the cherries with yearning.
Kate pushed them closer to her. She noticed that the old pine table, one of the original pieces in the house, had been scrubbed shades lighter than she remembered, and then waxed until it shone. Similarly, the floor and all the fixtures gleamed and not a single cobweb lingered in the corners of the windows. If this was Callie’s doing, it was impressive, though she needed to increase her understanding of boundaries.
“Um, are you going to tell her?” Callie asked.
“I should,” Kate said.
“Mom.” Aaron’s voice rose in protest. He hated it when people got in trouble, probably because that’s where he found himself so often.
Unjustly fired only a week ago, Kate was quick tosympathize. “I won’t,” she reassured her, “but I’d like an explanation.”
The girl sipped her water. “I, um, I’ve been staying in the houses I cleaned, the ones that are empty,” she confessed. “I never bothered anybody and I always cleaned up after myself, a hundred percent. I didn’t know you’d be coming today, I swear. I had you down for tomorrow.”
“We decided to come up early.” Kate studied the girl’s troubled eyes, the pinched and worried forehead. “Where’s your family, Callie?”
“I don’t have a family,” she said flatly.
“That needs a little more explanation.”
“My mom’s away and I’ve never known my dad.” She shook back her hair, acting as though it didn’t matter to her.
“So are you homeless?” Aaron asked.
Callie plucked a cherry and ate it. “I’m supposed to be in a foster home, but I had to leave the last one. I couldn’t stay there.”
“Why not?” Aaron asked.
Callie’s eyes, as gray and turbulent as the lake during storm season, expressed a truth Kate knew she would not utter in front of Aaron.
“I didn’t really get along with the family,” the girl said.
“You can stay with us,” Aaron said.
Kate nearly choked on a cherry.
Fortunately, Callie anticipated her reaction. “I wouldn’t do that to you and your mom, kid,” she said, pushing back from the table. “Totally time to clip. I’ll go up and get my stuff and then I’ll be out of your hair.” She headed
Callie gasped as Aaron and Bandit jumped out. When the dog wagged his tail and sneezed a greeting, she wrapped her arms around her middle and backed away. Her face changed from red to stark white. “I’m scared of dogs,” she said.
“Bandit won’t hurt you, honest,” Aaron said.
“Hold him anyway,” Kate advised, recognizing the terror in the girl’s face. “I’m Kate Livingston and this is my son, Aaron. And Bandit.”
“He’s mostly beagle,” Aaron said. “We call him Bandit because of the black mask on his eyes.” He pointed out the dog’s unusual markings but the girl withdrew even more.
“What are you doing here?” Aaron asked bluntly.
Callie looked a bit queasy. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and upper lip.
Oh, heavens, thought Kate. Was she sick? An addict? This was not good.
On the other hand, she reflected, the situation was terribly interesting. Kate reminded herself that she was now a freelance journalist. She thought she’d have to go looking for stories. Maybe a story had come to her.
“Let’s go inside,” she suggested. “Bandit can stay out.” He had a bed on the porch, one of those overpriced orthopedic sling beds from a catalog. Spoiled thing. Callie regarded Kate through narrowed eyes, but she went along readily enough. In the kitchen, her eyes widened as she took in the wealth of groceries on the counter.
Kate poured glasses of ice water for everyone and put out a bowl of Rainier cherries, summer’s most fleeting delicacy.
“Have a seat,” she said. “Tell me about yourself, Callie. How long have you worked for Mrs. Newman?”
“A few months.” The girl eyed the cherries with yearning.
Kate pushed them closer to her. She noticed that the old pine table, one of the original pieces in the house, had been scrubbed shades lighter than she remembered, and then waxed until it shone. Similarly, the floor and all the fixtures gleamed and not a single cobweb lingered in the corners of the windows. If this was Callie’s doing, it was impressive, though she needed to increase her understanding of boundaries.
“Um, are you going to tell her?” Callie asked.
“I should,” Kate said.
“Mom.” Aaron’s voice rose in protest. He hated it when people got in trouble, probably because that’s where he found himself so often.
Unjustly fired only a week ago, Kate was quick tosympathize. “I won’t,” she reassured her, “but I’d like an explanation.”
The girl sipped her water. “I, um, I’ve been staying in the houses I cleaned, the ones that are empty,” she confessed. “I never bothered anybody and I always cleaned up after myself, a hundred percent. I didn’t know you’d be coming today, I swear. I had you down for tomorrow.”
“We decided to come up early.” Kate studied the girl’s troubled eyes, the pinched and worried forehead. “Where’s your family, Callie?”
“I don’t have a family,” she said flatly.
“That needs a little more explanation.”
“My mom’s away and I’ve never known my dad.” She shook back her hair, acting as though it didn’t matter to her.
“So are you homeless?” Aaron asked.
Callie plucked a cherry and ate it. “I’m supposed to be in a foster home, but I had to leave the last one. I couldn’t stay there.”
“Why not?” Aaron asked.
Callie’s eyes, as gray and turbulent as the lake during storm season, expressed a truth Kate knew she would not utter in front of Aaron.
“I didn’t really get along with the family,” the girl said.
“You can stay with us,” Aaron said.
Kate nearly choked on a cherry.
Fortunately, Callie anticipated her reaction. “I wouldn’t do that to you and your mom, kid,” she said, pushing back from the table. “Totally time to clip. I’ll go up and get my stuff and then I’ll be out of your hair.” She headed
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