<< Go Back

The Broken Trail (Sweet River Redemption) (Volume 1)

By Christa MacDonald

Order Now!

CHAPTER ONE



Katherine Grant glanced out at the pine trees whipping past on the far side of the highway and then out the passenger window at the wall of rock on the other side. “This is looking downright uncivilized, Henry,” she said, half-expecting her 9-year-old red BMW to answer. She knew that Sweet River, Maine, was a remote hill-town, but it was starting to look more desolate than remote. The last sign of life had been ‘Mike’s Bait ‘N’ Ammo’, and that was over an hour ago. She hit the call button on the steering wheel, the ring of the phone sounding only once over the car speakers before her assistant answered. “You rang?” “Heather, remind me again. Why am I doing this?” “Because Helena, the Washington kingmaker, asked you to consider it, and nobody says no to Helena?” “Nope. Try again.” “Because you take contracts in school districts where you can do the most good, not where you can get the most notoriety.” “Makes me sound noble, but I don’t think that’s it.” “Because you need a vacation, and a tiny Christian school in a resort town in the middle of the woods sounded restful?” “That’s the one, but I’m seriously concerned about how remote this is. I’ve lost cell service twice, and the last thing I passed was a roadside shack advertising bait and ammo.” She paused then added, “Bait and ammo, Heather.” “Second thoughts are perfectly natural. It’s been a while since you’ve worked this kind of contract. I can’t remember the last time you did an on-site assessment that lasted for months.” “California. That district where the mayor tried to fire the superintendent and replace him with his wife.” “Forgot about that one. Well, you’ve got six months up there to handle this one, and there is no way it’s as complex. The school only has two hundred students; a quarter of those are boarding, and the town itself only has two thousand permanent residents. This is nothing like you’ve done before.” And that had been the point. Katherine was a bit tired of the ‘another day, another city’ kind of life she had been leading where home was more a P.O. Box than anything else. She had a beach house on Cape Cod near her mom, but she had been renting it out for so long that she really couldn’t call it hers anymore. The place where she was now headed, this quaint little hill town next to mountains and the lake, called to her
“Since I’m trapped in this car for at least another half hour, let’s run over day one again.” “Okay. First up, you meet with Stephanie Campbell, director.” “And she’s been head for three years.” “Yup, and the dropping enrollment and issues with the state over the vocational program for foster kids in the last two years have all been on her watch, so today you set up an intro. Monday’s the day where you have meetings with the department heads, the board, and the returning teachers.” “Got it.” “I took a look at the staff like you asked, and the heads are all her appointees. She cleaned house the first year she was in.” “Okay, that could be interesting or it could be nothing. What’s up after the meeting with Stephanie?” “You get to check out your rental house. Katherine, the pictures are just … I wanna live in this house.” “You have your own.” “My house is a disaster zone covered in the kids’ toys and Michael’s dirty socks. It’s not a cute little Victorian cottage with a garden.” “True, but you can’t have Nerf wars in the family room of a cute Victorian.” Katherine would know, since she often participated in those wars with Heather’s three boys. It wasn’t uncommon for chairs to be upended, rugs to go flying, or the occasional small body to launch itself at her in a sneak attack. “I suppose I would miss the children,” Heather sighed, a bit theatrically. “After your meeting, I didn’t schedule anything. You can take the rest of the day to settle in. Then you have the weekend to check out the town. I’ve been doing research, and it’s like Norman Rockwell-land.” “Really? This place is in the middle of nowhere.” “It’s because of that resort and the lake. The town attracts a ton of tourists, so they have all these shops and restaurants. Well, three restaurants and a bar called, you will never guess, ‘The Smooth Moose.’” “Punny,” Katherine said with a chuckle, liking the idea that at least some of the residents might have a sense of humor. “I have got to come visit.” Heather sounded excited, but Katherine knew just like every year, it was unlikely Heather would spend her vacation time on a getaway for herself. Despite the extra week Katherine had added with her last bonus, Heather still saved every day of her paid-time-off to spend with her family. “I’m calling your spare bedroom for a long weekend. As your assistant and best friend, I have dibs.”
“You got it.”
“Great. Now that you’re feeling calm,” Heather began cautiously, “I’ll also remind you that they have a church in town. It seems to be a living church, very active in the community, and they support the school.” Katherine withheld her groan, but Heather didn’t miss much, and her silence spoke volumes.
“Katherine, you’re the one who said you wanted out of your rut, that you weren’t happy and wanted to find a way to connect with people again. A church is a good way to do that. Maybe while you’re there you can reconnect with God, too. You want to find a place that feels like home, right?” That last bit was Heather’s frequent refrain.
For Katherine, home had been a small town, her loving parents, and her two little sisters. They’d lived in her family’s two-century-old house on the coast with the sprawling lawn and the stables. Sundays had been her favorite, since her dad never went in to work, and they’d walk together as a family to church. She’d belonged there, sitting in the same pew her great-grandmother had sat in. But that home was gone, torn away from her years ago.
“Give it a chance.” In the background, Katherine could hear the telltale sounds of escalating tensions among small children. “Ugh, there they go. I’ve got to settle that or there’ll be bloodshed. Or at least bruises. Call me if you get lost or if you want to brag about how nice that house is.”
“Will do. Love you, Heather.”
“Love you, too.” Click. Katherine refocused on the drive, managing to not get lost even when two of the turns had absolutely no signage. GPS was no help since it didn’t work this far north. Years of finding her way around new cities had given her a ninja-like sense of direction. Eventually, the winding secondary road she was on opened up to what appeared to be a town. The first indicator was the gas station, Ernie’s, with an attached convenience store looking a bit limited. After that, a series of little houses seemed to come out of the tree line on either side; one-story affairs with long front yards and broken-down garages.
The road then narrowed a bit, and the houses got nicer and closer to the road. Then she hit the real downtown; both sides of the street lined with shops and restaurants. The architecture was ‘Old-fashioned Main Street’— tall buildings all in a row with storefronts below and apartments above. The apartments and shops all had their flower-boxes tricked out, spilling over with delicate vines and late-season flowers. This was more what she’d been hoping for.
She passed a large wooden structure with nineteenth-century windows and a nicely landscaped yard. It was the town hall, painted a sunny yellow with a sign out front advertising an all-town picnic and a farmer’s market/ craft fair on Saturday. The church was next door. It was a classic Second Great Awakening New England church, displaying white clapboards with a tall spire. Across the street was a long oval of lawn with park benches ringing it: the town green.
Following the directions Heather had provided, Katherine parked behind the fire station in the municipal lot and walked across the street to the school campus. It was set back from the road, but the large brick building that housed the classrooms and offices was visible from the street. The sign on the post next to the walkway read ‘Sweet River Christian Academy.’
Katherine took a deep breath and headed inside. The building was old and beautiful. It was brick, covered with ivy and large windows. Inside it was all wood, brass accents, and that smell… she didn’t know if it was what they used to clean it or simply the wood itself, but all old wood buildings smelled like that: paper and pencils, soap and lemons, chalk dust and carbon. She found the office, and happily there was someone working, which meant she didn’t need to search for the director.
“Hello, I think you might be expecting me?”
The woman behind the long counter looked up from a stack of papers. “Oh, of course! You must be Dr. Grant.” She came around the counter with a bright smile. To her credit, she only let her eyes flick to the long scar down Katherine’s right cheek for a moment. Most people stared. After ten years it had faded to a thin white line, but it was hard to miss. “I recognize you from the Capitol Report. You were on with that senator from Maryland, am I right?”
Katherine nodded. The cable news shows called her in from time to time as an education-policy expert. She remembered that show with Senator Baxter. He was trying to push through an overreaching national standard that was badly designed and would inevitably be underfunded.
“You were talking about that new bill. What did you say that was so funny? Oh, I remember, ‘This bill is all show and no go.’” She chuckled. “I got such a kick out of that.”
“I’m glad you did.” The woman held her hand out, and Katherine shook it. “Elaine Winters. I’m the office administrator.”
“Is Stephanie Campbell in? I have a two o’clock with her today.”
Elaine’s expression changed to both troubled and frustrated. “During the summer, it’s tough to keep tabs on where the director is or when she’ll be in, but hold on and I’ll try her cell.” Elaine went back to the long counter and grabbed a phone, punching in a number with one long fingernail painted what looked like watermelon pink.
She hung up the phone. “Got her voicemail. But I know she and her husband were out on the lake earlier. They own a bunch of the rentals down there, and every Friday afternoon they sort of patrol their properties to be sure their renters are out on time. I doubt she’ll be here by two. I doubt she’d make it here by four, to tell you the truth.”
“Ah, must have been a misunderstanding.” Katherine didn’t believe that for one moment, but Elaine was already looking uncomfortable. No point in making it worse. She’d been concerned that Campbell would be a challenge.
“Actually, it gives me the excuse to move into my own rental house a little early.”
“Oh, well, go get settled in! We’ll see you Monday, when the staff starts to trickle in. I’ve set aside an office for you.” Elaine led her to a little office across from the admin counter. It wouldn’t be quiet, but it would be right in the action, which was good.
The office was small but serviceable, with a relatively large desk, task chair, and two straight-backed wooden chairs in front of it. It was furnished to grill students, probably used to be a guidance counselor’s office, but Katherine didn’t mind. She wasn’t fussy.
“This is perfect. Thank you so much.” Elaine beamed, and Katherine wondered if she either was a naturally cheerful person, or if she didn’t get a lot of praise. It was a nugget of info to store away until she understood the culture of the office a bit better.
“I’m so glad it will work for you. Now, I’ll get back to my mailings, and you can get settled into your house. I’ll see you Monday.” She slipped back behind her counter and got back to work, sending a cheery wave in Katherine’s direction.
Katherine headed out to her car and drove the half mile to the row of houses where her little rental stood. She was pleased to see that the house was as charming as the pictures promised. It was painted the perfect shade of yellow, with dusty blue shutters and a white picket fence. One side of the yard was a nice patch of grass, and the other side had a true English, cottage-style garden. She felt a flutter of pure happiness in her chest. It had been years since she’d spent more than a week in a place so lovely.
Katherine parked and headed up the walk, catching sight of lavender lining the brick pathway leading to the front door. She smiled and took a deep breath of the gentle flowery scent. The garden was still blooming its heart out. Petunias spilled out of the two planters on either side of the porch, and the window boxes were stuffed full of pink and purple verbena against vivid green, trailing ivy.
The email from the board of trustees had instructed her that the key would be left under the flowerpot to the right of the door. Katherine found the flowerpot easily enough, but the key wasn’t there. Taking a step back, she examined the other pots as well. She peeked into the window boxes but found nothing there either. In the end, she decided to try the side door. New Englanders rarely used their front doors, which were ‘formal doors’ versus ‘everyday doors’. Typically, neighbors or family members would go to the side door, but when Katherine reached it and looked, there was not a pot in sight, no key, and no hidey-hole for one either.
Sitting on a step, she set her purse down and called Heather to figure out why the key hadn’t been left and how to get ahold of someone who might have it. Heather didn’t pick up, so she left a quick voicemail. She was pondering what to do next when she heard, “Yes. Thank you. I’ll be waiting.” A woman was standing at the bottom of the steps, talking on her cell phone and giving Katherine the once-over, her eyes narrowed with a look of suspicion. The woman disconnected the call.
“What do you think you’re doing?” her voice was sharp an angry.
“I’m sorry?” Katherine stood up, brushing off the back of her skirt.
“I asked what you think you’re doing.” The woman dropped her cell phone into her bag and stood with her arms crossed in front of her, while staring up at Katherine as if challenging her right to breathe the same air. She had long blond hair, blow-dried perfectly straight with bangs swept to the side, and she was dressed stylishly, with leggings tucked into tall boots and a flowy peasant blouse belted at the waist. It was the sort of outfit that Katherine longed to be able to wear, but only a lithe sort of woman could pull it off. Katherine’s sturdy curves could never do it justice.
“I probably look like I’m ‘casing the joint’.” Katherine added awkward air quotes, but the woman didn’t so much as smirk.
“I’m Dr. Katherine Grant.” She climbed down the stairs and held her hand out. “I’m working with the Sweet River Christian Academy. I just arrived in town, as a matter of fact.” The friendliness was not working on this woman, since she ignored Katherine’s outstretched hand. “I’m beginning to think there’s been some sort of mistake. This is the house that was rented for me, but there’s no key in sight.”
The woman’s mouth fell open. “Well, of course there’s no key. You’re not living here. This is my house.”
“I’m so sorry!” Katherine looked back at the house and then at the woman. “I must have the wrong address then. I was given 53 School Street.”
“This is 53 School, but this house is not available. I rented it a week ago, and my lease is for the year.”
“How odd; this is the house that the school owns, and they said they had it reserved for me. I’ve got the email right here.” She held out her phone.
“That’s not my problem.” The woman’s tone was caustic and Katherine felt her temper flare. She had started off feeling foolish and nervous, but those feelings were quickly morphing into irritation and offense. Despite this obviously being a misunderstanding, and Katherine having the paperwork to prove that it was her rental, this woman wasn’t listening or being very nice about it. Katherine was about to use her ‘principal’ voice to set her straight when a police cruiser pulled up behind them and an officer stepped out. Katherine turned to the woman. “You called the cops on me?”
“You were breaking into my house.”
“I most certainly was not!” Irritation and offense was now a memory, as downright anger flared to life right as the officer approached and stood between them. He coolly assessed the situation behind his aviator sunglasses, taking in the other woman’s aggressive unhappiness, as well as Katherine’s defensive posture and Henry, full of Katherine’s belongings, parked beside the house.
“Erin, I believe you called in the report of a burglary in progress?” His tone was professional, but Katherine could tell that he thought this was amusing; there was a slight quirk to his lips. His voice was deep, with a slight accent that hinted of New York rather than Maine. “Is this your burglar?” He nodded at Katherine, his big hat making the gesture larger.
“I am not a burglar! I can show you the email that says the school rented this house to me. It has this address. In fact, I can call my assistant and verify that the booking was made.”
“It doesn’t matter what your ‘assistant’ says; I’ve already moved in,” Erin told her, looking back at the officer for support. He didn’t say a word. “Mindy already rented it to me. I have it for the year. I’ve even paid first, last, and security. I have no idea what this woman…” she paused to give Katherine a dismissive look before turning back to the officer, “… has in her email, but I’m all moved in. Suddenly she appears, trying all the doors, attempting to break in.”
“Were you attempting to break in?” The officer’s shades turned back to her again.
“Not at all.”
“Really. What do you call it then?” Her tone was sarcastic “Were you just feeling through all the potted plants for nothing? You tried both doors. I expected to see you jimmy a window next.”
Katherine tried to take a breath and not fly off the handle, but she was tired from the drive, worried about her missed appointment, and now disappointed to be losing a house she’d looked forward to.
“This is unbelievable.” She spun to face the officer, who no longer appeared amused. “Do you see my car full of stuff, Officer?” She pointed at it. “Do you see this email confirmation?” She waved her phone at him, and he leaned back with a frown. “Of course I wasn’t breaking in.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s ridiculous to even suggest it. Obviously any rational person can see that this is a misunderstanding. It’s hardly something we need a cop for.” She gestured toward the officer, giving Erin a scathing look.
“Hey, this is Captain MacAlister, the chief of detectives for this county,” Erin told her, as if that meant something. “And I don’t know you from Adam.”
“Erin, thank you, but I think I can handle this.” The officer’s tone was brusque. He pivoted to Katherine. “Ma’am, you need to leave the property. Immediately.”
Katherine felt disapproval roll off him like a wave. She tried to respond, but he interrupted.
“You need to leave and sort out your misunderstanding somewhere else.”
“Ya think?” she asked sarcastically, unable to stop herself from snapping back at him. With her feelings still stinging, she tried to march off to her car but was stopped short. An unhappy Captain MacAlister stepped in front of her and stood about an inch away. His face was so close she could see the slight bit of stubble on his chin and catch a slight hint of a woodsy sort of scent.
“A bit of advice, ma’am.” His tone was curt.
She felt a rush of apprehension, but she didn’t look away.
“You were technically trespassing, and I’m letting that go since it seems it was a misunderstanding, but don’t complicate matters by being disrespectful.” He looked from the out-of-state license plate on Henry back to her. “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from; in this town even the tourists are expected to behave themselves.”
Katherine took the hit and said nothing, since every single possible reply that flew through her head was probably going to land her in jail.
“Are we clear?” His voice was practically a growl.
“Completely.” Her answer was quiet, but firm. He stared at her as if he didn’t believe her, and she felt her cheeks get hot. She kept her mouth shut since she felt her emotional state deteriorating. There was a strong chance she’d end up saying something utterly stupid— or worse, get weepy. After a stretch of time that stopped just short of awkward, he stepped back and to the side so that she could scoot past him to her car.
“Dr. Grant?” she heard her name called and turned to see an older man in a game warden uniform jogging up to her from across the street. He had white hair and beard, but he moved as if he were twenty-five. “Looks like I’m a bit late.” He smiled when he caught up to her. “Greg Watson called and asked me to meet you at the school. He was calling you, but only got your voicemail.”
Katherine sighed. Greg was the head of the board of trustees, and although she’d given him her cell a half-dozen times, he still called the office, which got him Heather, not her. “He must have called my office rather than my cell. Are you a trustee as well?”
He nodded. “Greg called me in because I’m closest. He wanted me to tell you that there’s been a mix-up with your housing. You’re not staying here after all.” He looked up at the house and Erin. “Which it looks like you figured out. Mindy Houghton’s on the board and takes care of housing. I guess she forgot we were holding it for you and rented it to Erin instead. Found you a new spot today. You’re actually out at Mac’s rental, of all places.” He looked between her and the officer who had recently told her off. Katherine felt her stomach freefall to her toes.
“And I suppose this is Mac?” She pointed a thumb over at Captain MacAlister.
“Well, yeah. It’s a kicker that he’s here.” The man had a sly sort of smile on his face.
Mac stood there, still as stone. “Imagine that.”
“Yes, imagine that.” She tried not to freak out about the rather scary and definitely-not-friendly cop being her new landlord. “I’m sorry, sir, who did you say you were?”
“Peter Coleman.” He held out his hand. He had a sort of gentleness about him despite being at last half a foot taller than her, and broad as well. He looked like a typical weather-beaten outdoorsman, but his eyes were kind and he had an easy smile. “Call me Pete.”
“Thank you, Pete. I appreciate your help and your timing. I’m sort of in need of a rescue.”
“Oh, well, sure.” And again he looked back and forth between Katherine and Mac with confusion that turned quickly into understanding. “Greg said you were coming up here from Cape Cod. That’s a haul. I bet you’re real tired.” She rolled her eyes heavenward. “You have no idea.”
“That your car?” he asked, nodding back to Henry. “I’ve got my Jeep right down the way. I’ll jump in and you can follow me, okay? I live on the other side of the cabin. I’m a half-mile off, but that’s practically next door up here.” Katherine couldn’t help but give him a genuine smile. Pete was one of those instantly likeable people.
“Thank you, Pete.”
“Not at all, Dr. Grant.”
“Oh, no need to call me Dr. Grant. It’s Katherine.”
“You got a nickname?”
“I’ve had them all, feel free to choose which you like.”
“Well, how about Katie?”
“Sure. My mom calls me that.”
“Katie it is.” Pete moved towards his parked Jeep.
“Ma’am,” Captain MacAlister called after her. She turned toward him and didn’t miss that his expression was stuck at cold and unforgiving. But it didn’t matter anymore. She had a new friend in Pete; she didn’t care if the almighty Captain Mac didn’t like her. “Your purse.” He nodded to the porch where she had left it. She mumbled a thank-you and fetched the purse, catching once more the sweet smell of the lavender lining the walk. A pang of disappointment hit her, but she brushed it off. Maybe this cabin would be even better. As she pulled away, she could see Erin smiling up at the Captain and tried not to feel angry. Instead, she followed Pete up the mountain and into the woods.

Order Now!

<< Go Back