The cooler air spoke promises. Leaves fell like raindrops blanketing the ground. As Caitlin stared at the ground, breathing in the natural smells of earth, she knew she belonged here. "What I don't know is who will share in my dreams? I wish Granddaddy were here to solve this mystery."
When the sun sat lower in the sky, she headed home, ready to crawl into bed and put this day behind her. "Not again. Why won't he leave me alone?" she said seeing Scott sitting on the bottom porch step.
"It was the spark plug," he said, raising his shoulders and trying to laugh. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier." There was a generous gleam in his eyes, but Caitlin refused to look for fear of being lost in his eyes.
"Fine. Good night." She hurried to go inside, he blocked her path. He reached for her hand, but quickly drew back.
"I'm trying to apologize, Caitlin. It's tough being the new guy in town, especially this town. You caught the blunt of my frustration. Truce?"
"Sure," she said reluctantly because the use of the word "truce" bothered her. She and Garrett had used it the other night. Was he here the other night listening to our conversation? When I suspect someone watching me, is it him? Come to think of it, he wasn't in his truck last night. Did he walk twenty miles from the Junction to here? Why the secret phone call that wasn't so secret? He wants me to know something, but for him to tell me is dangerous. This is getting crazier by the minute. He settled on the porch, leaned against the railing, and patted the space beside him. She sat in the chair, not even within an arm's reach of him.
Scott did not look towards Caitlin. "Your parents died in a car accident when you were three. Your grandparents raised you. Your grandmother died when you were fifteen, leaving you with your grandfather. He ran this ranch like always and pushed you towards the future. But he let you make your own decisions and choices. You went off to the University of Virginia where you graduated with high honors in business management. Then you moved to Richmond where you became personnel manager of the Richmond Tribune. Seems like you've had an ideal life."
As if someone had hit her with a brick, she lost the ability to breathe. Minutes passed in tense silence before she managed to say, "How do you know this?"