A Matter of Trust Read online

  “Naw. Just met him down at Harry’s Hardware store the other day. We kinda bumped into each other. We had a bit of conversation, and he said he was a handyman. I was looking for one, so I hired him.”

  “That’s it?” Victoria asked incredulously.

  “That’s it.”

  “You gave him a key to my cottage.”

  “He needed it.”

  “But you don’t know him?”

  “Do you ever really know anybody?” Gramps crossed his ankles and watched the boats speed past in the lake.

  “Don’t get philosophical on me, Gramps.” She sat in the other rocking chair that occupied the porch.

  “Well, darlin’, if you had let me know you were coming home early, I’da made sure he knew you’d be there,” he stated in what Victoria called his countrified accent.

  “Right,” she sighed. If anyone else had dared call her darlin,’ she would have belted them. But it felt right coming from her Gramps.

  “Besides,” he spoke up. “I got this feelin’ about him. I’ve always been able to tell a good man from a bad one…he’s a good one.”

  “So, you hired this man with no references, no I.D....” Victoria trailed off shaking her head.

  Gramps huffed. “I don’t need no I.D. The man says he’s James Montgomery, he’s James Montgomery. References? Naw, I’ll just see if he can fix things. That’s enough check for me.”

  Victoria didn’t know how Gramps had retained his trusting nature. She had lost trust in other people a long time ago. “I want that key back. I don’t want any stranger running around with one. Now that I’m here, I can let him in to use the electrical sockets when he needs to.”

  “And he’s gonna be working on the plumbing under the kitchen sink. Oh, and I noticed that there’re a few shingles that need to be replaced. The dock needs to be fixed up a bit too, how would you like to have a swing down there?”

  Victoria ignored his question and asked, “How long is all of this going to take?”

  “Hmm. Probably a month or two,” he replied nonchalantly.

  “A month or two!” She leapt up out of her chair and began pacing. She nibbled on her fingernails, a habit that had been with her since childhood. The idea of having James Montgomery around all summer didn’t sit easy with her. She needed to relax and unwind in the few months before the school year started up again. Being a kindergarten teacher had its advantages with having summers off, but she needed the break. Handling a bunch of feisty five year olds for nine months took its toll on her.

  “Gramps, I need to unwind and relax before I go to work for Chisolm Elementary in the fall. I was hoping to have a quiet summer.”

  “It’ll be okay. You’ll see.” A gleam appeared in his slate gray eyes.

  Victoria wondered if he had been conspiring with her mother in a matchmaking attempt. Mom, who seemed to be on a never ending quest for more grandchildren, always had some sort of scheme going. Her mother found it her life’s mission to see all of her children married with children of their own. Being the only one left of the three siblings not married, she often ended up the topic of many conversations when the family met together.

  He got up from his chair. “Well, I’ve got to go if I’m going to make it to church. You coming?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “By the way, when is the moving truck gonna bring your stuff?”

  “They’re supposed to be here tomorrow morning. But Gramps, about Montgomery, I wish you had told me…”

  “It’ll be all right darlin’. It ain’t nothin’ but a thing.” He moseyed off into the house. The screen door slapped shut behind him as he went in.

  “Ain’t nothin’ but a thing? What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked herself aloud. She slumped back into the old rocker and sighed. When Gramps didn’t want to talk, there was no use trying. “Gramps, you are a stubborn man,” she mumbled to herself as she continued to bite on her nails.

  “Oh and darlin’,” Gramps said from inside making Victoria jump with guilt. “I invited James Montgomery for supper tonight. You might want to make extra stew.”

  Victoria’s heart did a little leap. She glanced inside the doorway, but Gramps had already gone. She had offered to make dinner tonight for Gramps, hoping to ease into helping him without him balking. Now she was obligated to cook for James Montgomery too. She bit into her fingernails again. The man made her more than a little nervous.

  Since the handyman insisted on hanging around, Victoria decided to find out more about him. Tonight would be a good chance to start. She didn’t want to be on edge all summer long, looking over her shoulder. She needed to relax and focus on helping Gramps. That’s what she needed most, a place to completely relax and enjoy life. She decided to make the best of the meal tonight and try to get to know something about the handyman.

  Victoria sat for a while in the rocking chair, thinking about Gramps. Although his hair had thinned since the last time she saw him and his gait had slowed, his memory was as good as ever. His stroke hadn’t phased him. Still tough as nails, Gramps had her undying respect and admiration.

  She stood up tucking her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. She glanced around at the beautiful, serene surroundings. The mountains beyond the lake were breathtaking in the early morning light. She took in a deep breath filled with a multitude of summertime scents and the freshness of the lake water carried on the breeze. She felt herself relax and a smile spread across her face as she prayed, Thank you, Lord, for bringing me home.

  A Matter Of Trust

  A Matter Of Trust

  Chapter Two

  Victoria looked in the mirror one last time before heading up the hill to the old farmhouse to start making dinner. She had been surprised to see James at church that morning. She didn’t even see him until after service. He must have come in after she had arrived, because she had looked for him as she walked in. He had the nerve to wink at her as she walked past him on her way out, causing her to blush like a school girl. Thinking about it again made heat rise to her cheeks.

  She had smoothed on lipstick and brushed her shoulder length, blonde hair a dozen times, and changed shirts three times before deciding on a simple crew cut t-shirt to go along with her jeans. She didn’t usually worry about clothes or makeup, but for some reason, she wanted to at least be presentable.

  As she headed up through the yard to the old house, memories came flooding back to her. She remembered the time she fell out of the old oak tree and nearly broke an arm, skipping rocks along the shoreline into the lake with her friends, and the smell of Grandma’s homemade pies cooling in the window sills. She smiled at the lasting memories.

  “Hey,” James said as he appeared at her side.

  Startled out of her reverie, Victoria turned to look at him. “Oh, you are going to have to stop sneaking up on me.”

  He shrugged his shoulders in innocence. “I don’t sneak.” He grinned and a sexy dimple appeared on his cheek.

  “You’re early,” she accused, trying to ignore the tingles of sensations that just being near this man evoked in her. “I haven’t even started making dinner.”

  He wore a simple black t-shirt and jeans that seemed to fit him just right. He looked freshly shaven and his short black hair gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight. His strength and vitality radiated around him, giving him a natural air of authority.

  “I know I’m early. I thought I could help prepare dinner. I brought some ice cream for dessert.” He pulled a gallon of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream out of a bag that he was carrying. “It’s from the local creamery. It’s the best.”

  “It’s my favorite.” Victoria couldn’t help but smile. “Did Gramps tell you that?”

  “No. Lucky guess.”

  As they neared the porch, James stepped up ahead of her and opened the door.

  “A gentleman. You’re full of surprises aren’t you?” She walked in ahead of him.

  He smiled but said nothing as he moved in be
hind her. He helped Victoria cut vegetables and stew meat with only a few questions for her. Most men she knew would have asked dozens of questions to the point where she would shoo them out of the kitchen. But James worked with her in unison. He threw himself into the task with gusto, much as he had done while working on the deck the day before.

  He wiped off the cutting board, rinsed his hands and leaned on the counter next to her. “Smells good already.”

  “It’ll need to simmer for a while.” Victoria worked up the courage to turn to him. She flinched when he reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. His warm fingers brushed her cheek and left her skin on fire.

  “I won’t hurt you,” he said softly when she pulled away.

  “I’m not planning on letting anyone hurt me, or Gramps. Who are you and where are you from?” She became defensive. She didn’t like how he affected her so easily.

  “Ahh. I wondered when we were going to get around to this discussion.”

  “Now’s as good a time as any.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “You don’t trust easily do you?”

  “No, and you’re avoiding my question.”

  “Let’s go outside and relax while the stew is...stewing.” He stepped outside onto the porch, leaving her alone in the kitchen with no choice but to follow him.

  Victoria stood against the railing on the porch, arms crossed, watching while James made himself at home in the rocker. His booted feet found the railing as he crossed his ankles and laced his fingers together.

  “You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he said as he looked her over.

  “I don’t know anything about you.”

  “Yet you just spent half an hour alone in the kitchen with me while I was holding a sharp knife.”

  Good point.

  “Okay, so I don’t think you’re an axe murderer, or a...a knife wielding psycho. But if you’re going to be spending time around us, around here,” she fanned her hands out, “I deserve to know something about you.”

  “If I told you, would you believe me?”

  Aggravated and annoyed beyond reason, she began pacing along the wide planks on the porch, taking care not to get too near him. “Maybe.”

  “Well, you know my name. As for who I am? I guess you’ll have to find that out for yourself. Does it really matter where I’m from? As for my past...it’s mine, and I like to keep it that way.”

  She pressed on. “But, why are you here now?”

  “I’m renting a house across the lake.” He pointed across the lake to the left, in a general direction. “I’m planning on staying for the summer. I like to stay busy so I hire out for handyman work.”

  “Are you here on vacation?”

  “Isn’t that what most people do at the lake?”

  “You’re really good at avoiding answers.” She stopped pacing and leaned on the porch railing.

  “Am I?” He looked like he was starting to enjoy the bantering.

  “So you just happened to run into my grandfather at the hardware store?”

  “I’ve found in the past it’s a good place to find work. People needing home repairs almost always end up there.”

  The man had a point. But something niggled at her conscience. “It must cost a fortune to rent one of those houses. They’re all so huge, and the landscaping is so detailed. What do you do when you’re not fixing up other people’s houses?”

  “Am I under interrogation?” James stood up and sauntered over to stand in front of her. He placed one hand on the post beside her head, leaned in close to her and said slowly, deeply, “Is it just me you don’t trust or all men?” He met her eyes and held them captive.

  Victoria found the sudden need to swallow. She wanted to turn and leap over the railing to get away. However, knowing how silly that would look, she stood her ground. “At the moment, just you.”

  “Well then, I’ll have to give you a reason to trust me won’t I?” He leaned forward a bit more, his lips inches from hers.

  He was going to kiss her.

  Okay. So she thought he was going to kiss her. Only he didn’t. He stayed close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin, yet not quite close enough to touch her and said, “I want to kiss you.” His eyes trailed down the length of her face to land on her lips. “And…I always get what I want,” he whispered.

  The arrogance in that statement brought Victoria out of her trance. She took both of her palms, planted them on his chest and shoved him back.

  “Not always.” She slammed her way into the house.

  ****

  James released a broad smile and chuckled. He wanted to see if he could get a reaction out of her. She hadn’t disappointed him. He decided to stay on the porch for a few more minutes to let Victoria think over what he’d just said. As he sat back in the rocker, he took one long look across the lake to the rented house. She was right. It was a fortune to rent. But that wasn’t his problem. The Connors’ were his problem, and he was intent on fixing them.

  ****

  Gramps came back, from who knows where, soon after their conversation on the porch. Victoria knew he couldn’t have been gone all day at church and he evaded her question when she asked him where he’d been. Her annoyance with James overshadowed her curiosity about Gramps’ whereabouts, and so she let it drop.

  She still fumed about the incident on the porch and gladly let James and Gramps strike up a conversation outside without her. She shook her head in astonishment at the arrogance he had showed. He had some nerve. She had a sudden urge to call Ashley and tell her all about it. She wouldn’t of course, not where she could be overheard. But, she put it on her mental list of things to do.

  So James wanted to kiss her. She caught herself wondering, for a moment, what it would be like. Then she reminded herself of how annoyed she was with him. It didn’t matter how masculine and attractive a man was if he annoyed her.

  She tried to focus on finishing the preparations for dinner while Gramps and James went out to the back of the house to talk about man stuff. She caught a bit of conversation about carburetors and cylinders as she poked her head out the back door to call them to the table. They both leaned under the hood of an old pick up that Gramps had abandoned to rot a few years back.

  “I’ll take a look at it. I may be able get it running so you can sell it.”

  “So you’re a jack of all trades, huh?” She walked up behind them. James only shrugged as he turned to face her with a grin. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the old blue Ford, crossing his ankles. How could he look so relaxed when her insides were turning every which way? She felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she remembered how close he had been to her. What he said to her.

  “Let’s eat ‘afore it gets cold.” Gramps walked to the kitchen.

  “Are you still upset with me?” James asked when they were alone.

  “I’m fine.” She smiled, not wanting him to know he had affected her so easily with their earlier confrontation on the porch, and now just by being near him again.

  “I meant what I said earlier.”

  “Which part? About wanting to kiss me or always getting what you want?”

  “Both.” He stood up from the truck, took her hand in his and led her toward the house.

  “You assume too much James.” She removed her small hand from his much larger one.

  “I’m just a man who knows what he wants.”

  “Why pick on me? There are a lot of women around the lake, beautiful women.”

  “Pick on you? I’m beginning to think you don’t like me. Besides, you are beautiful, or haven’t you noticed?”

  “I wouldn’t label myself that way. I’m an honest, capable adult who has her mind made up.”

  “About what?”

  “I’m not looking for a summer fling.”

  “Why not?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “What if I want to make it my business?” He stopped walking and
turned to her as he reached the porch steps.

  Victoria’s mouth hung agape. “You are persistent aren’t you?”

  “Yes. I am,” James said simply. “Might as well get used to it. I’ll be around here a lot this summer. Gramps has hired me for a lot of jobs.”

  “So, I’ve heard.” Suspicion surfaced quickly with his words. “By the way, Gramps may be getting older, but he’s still as smart as a whip. So, if you’re thinking about taking advantage of his money, you can forget...” She regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth. His eyes blazed with resentment.

  “So, let me get this straight. Not only am I untrustworthy in general, I am also a swindler that takes advantage of the elderly? Tell me Miss Connor, exactly when did you form such a high opinion of me? Was it when you first met me in the cottage, when I didn’t accost you or hurt you when you were in such a vulnerable state?” His eyes roamed down over her once again reminding her of their first meeting when she stood before him barely clothed. “Or, was it when I helped you prepare dinner, and once again didn’t accost you when we were alone. Do you have to work on being an ice princess or does it come naturally?”

  His words slapped her conscience and she paled. “I’m not an ice princess.”

  “Do me a favor and save your judgments about me for after you get to know me a little. Then you can tell me what you really think.” He turned and stalked into the house leaving her alone outside, feeling about as large as the hummingbird that buzzed by her ear, searching for nectar.

  At dinner, Victoria sat quietly as Gramps said the blessing. She tried to find an opportunity to apologize to James but couldn’t find an opening that wouldn’t be incredibly awkward. She really hadn’t been fair and regretted her words. Even though she truly didn’t trust him, she had no right to accuse him of taking advantage of Gramps. He had given her no reason to even suspect it. Guilt poked at her as they each took a turn ladling out their stew.

  Gramps and James kept the conversation going throughout dinner as she ate quietly and observed. She watched carefully, trying to learn as much as possible about the man in front of her. She hadn’t expected their conversation to turn hostile outside. She wished she had kept her mouth shut. Luckily, Gramps didn’t seem to notice the tension radiating between them.