The 45th Parallel Page 5

  “Oh, we are taking the fun car,” Kat said.

  He smiled as he started up the engine, and looked over at Kat. “Don’t worry, I won’t drive like Patrick.”

  John reached across her to open the glove compartment and pull out a pair of sunglasses. His arm brushed against Kat’s leg and she felt a warm vibration travel up her thigh. He paused for a second as they touched, and Kat wondered if he felt anything. He sat up straight and put on his Ray Bans. Kat thought he looked like a male model. She suddenly wished this car ride went quickly. She didn’t like how out of control she felt around him.

  “Are you sailing with everyone today?” she asked.

  John looked straight ahead as they pulled out of the gravel drive. “No, I’m working most of the day. It’s Friday of Memorial Day weekend so it should be busy at the winery. Greg and I also need to discuss production for next season.” Although John’s face looked relaxed, Kat noticed he was clutching the steering wheel tightly.

  “I would like to take you to dinner tonight,” he said suddenly. “We can go into Traverse City to the Grille. It’s right on the water, you’ll like it.” He paused for a moment. “If you are free, that is.”

  Kat was stunned. “I, ah, have to work till seven tonight,” she stammered. “Jack usually lets me off an hour later than I am scheduled. It will be pretty late before I am cleaned up and ready to go out.”

  “Jack will let you off early,” John said. “I will come get you at Muldoon’s and take you back to your aunt’s house to get ready.”

  Kat pictured herself after working a shift—sweaty, greasy, stained clothes. “I can call you when I finish my shift and I’m ready to go out. That way you don’t have to wait for me.”

  “Are you embarrassed for your co-workers to see me?” he said, a sly smile crossing his lips.

  “Hardly,” she laughed, “it’s just silly for you to have to sit around and wait for me.”

  “I will see you at Muldoon’s tonight,” John said. Kat looked out the window and realized they were almost to the town of Northport. John pulled up in front of Aunt Mary’s house and got out to open Kat’s door. Dora Samson, who Kat had met the day before, happened to be walking by as Kat got out of the Porsche. Dora gave them a disapproving look and kept going.

  John picked up Kat’s hand and kissed it. “See you at six,” he said as he got back in the car.

  “I’m not off until seven!” she yelled over the car engine. John simply waved and drove off.

  Kat looked down at her hand and touched the spot he had kissed. She had the same warm, tingling sensation. She pulled her phone out of her purse and called Anna’s number. Kat would need her cousins’ help in the wardrobe department again.

  Chapter Six

  Dora May Samson was the picture of a stereotypical bookworm. She wore a straight skirt that hit mid-calf, shirt buttoned up to the top, and a long sleeved cardigan sweater. Dora sat in her office at the back of the store looking out at a group of teenagers giggling and flirting in the non-fiction area. She pushed her glasses higher up on her nose. They were probably the ones who have been leaving dirty condoms on the beach. Dora’s eye twitched slightly at the thought. She picked up the phone and dialed the bank.

  “Mr. West please,” Dora said and then waited. “Robert, this is Dora. I have the books you ordered…yes, I will bring them over at lunch.” Dora listened for a moment, hung up the phone, and picked up a stack of posters on her desk. The posters were advertising a night hike along the new nature trail, sponsored by the Great Lakes Conservation Group, or GLCG for short.

  “Dora, I’m going to take lunch now,” a small mousey girl stuck her head in the door of Dora’s office and whispered.

  “Make sure you are back in thirty minutes.” Dora smiled sweetly. “It seems you lost track of time yesterday.”

  The girl looked embarrassed shook her head and shuffled off. Dora had seen her employee, Barb Gillen, buying a pregnancy test at the drug store yesterday. Dora looked at her watch, picked up a pile of books on her desk, along with the posters, and headed out of the store across the street to the National Bank. She walked over to the branch manager’s secretary and informed her that she needed to see Mr. West. The secretary picked up her phone and called Mr. West’s office.

  “Dora Samson is here to see you.”

  “Please send her in,” the voice echoed on the phone.

  “Go right in Miss Samson,” the secretary said as she motioned toward the door. Dora smiled and carried the books and posters into Mr. West’s office and shut the door behind her. Mr. West looked at her expectantly. He was a short, chubby man with a receding hairline.

  “I have the posters for the Night Hike and the Full Moon Celebration. Would you be so kind as to hang one or two in your lobby? I also have the books you ordered,” Dora said as she placed the stack of books on the corner of his desk. She then took several steps back, bent down, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and pulled it up over her hips. Dora did not wear underwear in the summer.

  Mr. West reached over to the phone and pressed a button. “Please hold all my calls.” He walked over to the window and closed the blinds.

  Chapter Seven

  Barb Gillen sat at a picnic bench by the beach staring blankly out at Grand Traverse Bay. She opened her purse and looked at the unopened pregnancy test. This was crazy. How could she be pregnant? She only had sex once, with her high school sweetheart, Tim. He died in a car accident just before graduation. That was five years ago. But her period was two weeks late, and she was exhausted.

  Barb felt foolish for buying the test. Her late period and exhaustion could be caused by any number of things. Maybe she had mono. But the dream; it was so real. She and Tim were walking through the woods at night. The crickets were chirping all around them as the moon bathed the trees in a soft white light. When they reached a clearing, Tim put a blanket down on the ground, turned, and smiled at her. That sweet, crooked smile made Barb’s heart ache. She missed everything about him: his smell, his touch, his laugh, the look on his face when he told her she was beautiful. They lay down on the blanket and he kissed her. Barb had not been kissed like that in a very long time. She awoke in her bedroom feeling exhausted and confused.

  Had someone given her that date rape drug? Things like that didn’t happen to people like her. She was always the good kid—she got good grades, never drank, attended church every Sunday, volunteered in the community. How could she tell her parents she was pregnant and had no idea who the father is? The night she had the dream, she remembered coming home from work, having dinner with her parents, and going to bed. Could she have been impregnated by a ghost?

  Barb felt a fat salty tear roll down her cheek. She brushed it away and glanced at her watch. She had to get back to work on time today. Dora had made Barb feel very welcome since she started working at the book store. She had talked Barb into joining the GLCG. It turned out to be a wonderful organization. Barb felt welcome and accepted by the group. What would they think of her if the test turned out to be positive?

  I will take the test when I get home tonight. She had been unable to bring herself to do it the night before. As Barb stood up to go, she felt a sharp pain in her side, which made her catch her breath. She stood holding onto the table until the pain subsided. As she walked back to the book store, she tried to remember if she had ever been this tired in her life.

  Chapter Eight

  Muldoon’s was a block off the main drag of Northport, housed in a one story building with weathered, gray siding. Inside, the walls were covered in knotty pine and adorned with trophy fish caught in local waters. For those patrons who did not appreciate the dark cozy atmosphere, there was a small patio which was open from May through September.

  “Hey Jack,” Kat called to her boss as she went back to get her order pad and apron.

  “How are you, Kat? Did you go out last night?” He called back. He must have run into Aunt Mary.

  “Yes, I went to a party at John Warren’s house.�
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  “Ooooooooh,” was the response from the regulars at the bar.

  “Don’t start getting all fancy on us, Kat,” Bob Dorin, better known as “Captain Bob,” called from across the bar. Bob was about thirty-five, but looked like he was closer to fifty. He was a commercial fisherman and ran charters for tourists from May through the beginning of October out of Leland. He was missing two fingers on his right hand and his nose looked like it had been broken more than once. He came into Muldoon’s a couple times a week for lunch, schedule permitting, and usually consumed at least three beers. Aunt Mary said he attended mass at St. Gertrude’s with his wife and ten-year-old son almost every Sunday during the off season. After hearing some of Bob’s jokes, it was hard for Kat to picture him reciting the Our Father in church.

  “Don’t worry, Captain Bob, you can take the girl out of Muldoon’s but you can’t take the Muldoon’s out of the girl,” Kat called back. This was the place to come if you wanted some good pub-grub; greasy burgers, chili, fried fish. Kat loved Muldoon’s. Going there was like visiting a large dysfunctional family. You never had to worry about putting on airs.

  The rest of the day went by quickly. There were several large groups of men in for fishing trips. They tended to drink a lot and tip well. The lunch crowd spilled over to the happy hour crowd. Soon the dinner crowd would fill the tables. Kat thought there was no way Jack was going to let her off early. If John showed up at six like he promised, he would have to sit and wait at least two hours.

  At about five, Jack waved Kat over. “Kat, do you mind working behind the bar for a while? I’m going to grab a bite in the back before it gets too busy,” he said.

  “Sure, no problem.”

  “Take your time Jack,” Ray Gordon said. Ray was another one of the regulars. He was about sixty-five years old and Kat assumed he was retired because he seemed to spend an awful lot of time at Muldoon’s. “We would rather look at Kat than you any day.”

  Three men in paramedic uniforms came in and sat at the corner of the bar. Kat recognized one of them.

  “Hi Dan,” Kat said. “What can I get you guys?”

  “Something strong,” Dan said.

  “Rough day?” Ray asked.

  “A disturbing day. We got a call to go to the Crowley farm. Mr. Crowley passed away last night. His aid worker found him this morning.”

  “So the old coot finally bit the dust? That’s not exactly surprising,” Ray said.

  “It’s not the fact he died that is disturbing, it was the expression on his face. He looked like he had been frightened to death. I’m sure the official cause of death will be a massive coronary, but something must have spooked that old man.”

  “Crowley came in Mary’s store with Rose yesterday. Rose said he had been having bad dreams,” Kat said.

  “Well, he must have had a doozey last night,” one of the other paramedics said. “His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head and his mouth was wide open like he was screaming.”

  “How about those black lips?” The third paramedic said.

  “His lips were black?” Kat said. “Okay, I don’t need any more detail on Crowley’s dead body. Now I will be having nightmares.”

  “Sorry Kat. We will take three shots of bourbon and three beers,” Dan said.

  “Coming right up.” Kat got them their drinks and tried to push the image of Crowley’s face, frozen in horror, from her mind. It was strange she had just seen him the day before, and now he was dead. Jack returned in about ten more minutes, and Kat let him take over the bartending.

  Kat went back to her tables and was so busy she didn’t notice John come in and take a seat at the bar about five-forty five. As she was walking back to the kitchen, Jack yelled over to her.

  “Kat, your friend is here.”

  Kat looked over at John and felt her face getting warm. John gave her a dazzling smile. He was wearing a silky light blue dress shirt and black pants. He stood out like a sore thumb next to the regular clientele.

  “What can I get you Mr. Warren?” Jack asked.

  “I’ll take a Bud Light.”

  “Bud Light it is,” Jack said as he opened a bottle and put it in front of John. Kat thought John would be nervous about ordering wine at Muldoon’s. Jack didn’t carry much of a wine selection. Kat looked out from the kitchen to see John and Jack deep in conversation.

  Sarah, who was another waitress, was looking over Kat’s shoulder at John. “Is that your date, Kat?”

  “We are going out to dinner after I get off.”

  “Do you want me to take your tables? If I were you, I wouldn’t keep Prince Charming waiting.”

  “Thanks Sarah, but I don’t think Jack will let me off early. We are too busy.” Kat grabbed several plates of food and carried them out to the tables.

  “Kat,” Jack called as she headed back into the kitchen. “Why don’t you take off? Sarah can take your tables.”

  “O…k…I’ll go tell Sarah.” Kat looked at John and he was staring into Jack’s eyes. The lighting in the bar must be playing tricks. John’s eyes looked so dark. She didn’t see one speck of the beautiful blue color.

  “Thank you, Jack. Can I bring you a case of wine to try out with your patrons?”

  “I never turn down free wine,” Jack said.

  Kat hung up her apron in the back, grabbed her purse, and walked out to John. He dropped a twenty dollar bill on the bar and followed Kat out the front door.

  “I parked my car at your aunt’s house,” John said as he reached for Kat’s hand. The warm, tingling sensation started immediately.

  “How did you talk Jack into letting me off early?” Kat asked.

  “I just asked,” John stated simply

  Kat looked at his eyes and they were indigo blue again. It must have been the lighting. When they got to Aunt Mary’s house, she was sitting on the porch.

  “Hello John.”

  “How are you, Mary?”

  “Just fine.” Mary eyed John suspiciously, turned to Kat, and said, “Anna left something for you up in your room. Can I get you a drink, John? I have some lemonade.”

  “That sounds good,” John said. Aunt Mary got up and went into the house. Kat did not want to let go of John’s hand.

  “Why don’t you get ready? I’ll wait out here.” John dropped her hand and sat down on a porch chair. She stood there and waited for the tingling sensation to subside. Kat wondered if he felt it too.

  “All right, I’ll try to make it fast.” Kat turned and went into the house and up the stairs. She found a little black summer dress on her bed. Anna and Helene came through again. Kat showered, dried her hair, and put on some makeup. She actually even put on lipstick. The black dress was very form fitting. She felt very self-conscious in it, but her options were limited. She put on a pair of black sandals and went downstairs. John stood up when Kat stepped out on the porch. Aunt Mary eyed the dress nervously.

  “You guys have fun and be careful,” Mary said.

  “Thank you, we will,” John responded and held out his arm to Kat. Kat slipped her arm through his and they walked down the porch steps to the Porsche. John opened the door for Kat and she tried to get in gracefully without flashing him in the skimpy dress.

  “You look stunning,” John said as they drove away from Mary’s house.

  “Thank you.” Kat could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. “How was the winery today?”

  “Very busy, the season is just getting started. Hopefully it will be a good one.”

  “Were you working all day?” Kat asked secretly wondering if he had spent time with any of his other female friends today.

  “I worked till five or so.”

  That did not leave him much time for entertaining.

  “Is your Aunt Mary your mother’s sister?”

  “Yes, my mom had one brother and one sister. My mom’s brother, Kevin, is Anna, Helene, and Patrick’s father. Mary was the oldest, then my mom. Uncle Kevin was the baby.”

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nbsp; “Do you have any siblings?”

  “I have a step brother, Will, who is fifteen and a step sister, Lilly, who is thirteen. They live in Florida with my dad and his wife.”

  “Where is your mom?”

  “She died when I was eight,” Kat answered. This was not a subject she wanted to delve into. “Do you have any siblings?” she asked to take the focus off her.

  “I was an only child. My parents are gone, but I do have some family in Cleveland still.”

  “Did you grow up in Cleveland?”

  “Yes, my father was a rainmaker for one of the law firms there. He decided to start the winery here when I was in college. It was their dream retirement,” John said, his voice drifting off.

  “I’m sure you miss them,” Kat said.

  They drove down M22 which runs along the West side of Grand Traverse Bay from Northport to Traverse City. Kat looked out John’s window at the blue-green water sparkling in the late day sun. The tourist season did not get into full swing until the first or second week of June, so there were only a scattering of boats on the water.

  “Here we are,” John said. He turned left into a relatively small parking lot. The lot was full, but someone was pulling out as they were pulling in.

  “That was lucky,” Kat said. There were two other cars driving around the lot looking for spots to open up. John parked and got out of the car. Kat opened her door and started to get out.

  “I was just coming around to do that for you,” John said holding out his hand. Kat wasn’t used to anyone opening her door. She couldn’t recall Daniel ever opening her door. She took John’s hand and tried to get out of the Porsche without her dress hiking up. Her legs were long and muscular from all the running and biking, but she was not used to showing quite so much of them. I must remember to request more coverage from the outfits my cousins pick in the future.

  “Thank you,” Kat said. John did not let go of her hand as they walked past the entrance of the restaurant to the outside bar in the back. Kat hoped they weren’t going to eat out here. The temperature would be quite brisk once the sun went down.