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Kate's Quest

By Seralynn Lewis

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Kate Callahan’s head pounded as she pulled her car into the driveway of the magnificent bed & breakfast after passing through the small town’s charming and quaint business district. The change in climate from the icy cold in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado to the milder temperatures of Worthy, Ohio wreaked havoc on her sinuses. She hoped the over-the-counter medicine she’d picked up earlier would kick in and allow her to rest, then she’d get her bearings on what to do next.
Finding a job was at the top of her to-do list before she tackled looking for her biological mother. She rolled her neck and leaned onto the headrest, hoping to release the stress. Tiredness made her eyes blur. She needed closure. But right now, she’d have to get out of her old SUV, grab her bag, check in, and get some much-needed rest. First things first.
The drive had taken much longer than she’d expected, and her anxiety rocketed. Disappointment after disappointment plagued her. She’d followed so many clues in the search for her mother in the last year, she felt like giving up and just settling somewhere. Worthy seemed as good a place as any. And bonus: No one knew her.
“Well, no one knows me…yet,” she muttered to herself.
The letter she’d found after her mother died shocked her to the point that she quit her job as an EMT. Her colleagues and former boss fussed and worried over her.
Her entire life had been one colossal lie.
Even her long-time pastor had cautioned her that what she sought might cause more heartache than not knowing. He led her to scripture verses, prayed for her, and reminded her how much her parents loved her. How much God loved her. But the abandonment she felt went bone deep, so she walked away from everything she held dear.
So now she was on a quest to uncover who she was and where she came from. If the final clue lead nowhere, the pursuit for truth was over. She couldn’t put herself through another failure.
She pulled her heavy bag behind her and climbed the four steps to the wide front porch and entered through the beveled glass door. The foyer of the historic building enchanted her with its soft lighting and polished wood paneling. The pictures on the B&B’s website drew her to stay here instead of a well-known chain in Columbus, and she wasn’t disappointed. The old-world elegance stunned her and the smell of fresh baked goods reminded her she had eaten nothing since early morning.
Stepping to the registration desk, she rolled the bag next to her feet and hit the buzzer. While she waited, she scanned the dining room to her right with its deep blue damask drapes and matching upholstered chairs.
Pushing the buzzer again, she craned her neck to the open doorway behind the counter, but no one appeared. Maybe she’d contact Amy, the owner, to get her key. Just as she shot off a text, a guy in a flannel shirt and jeans strode through the front door.
He walked with purposeful steps to stand behind the counter. “Sorry. You must be Kate. Amy said you’d be coming. I’m her brother, Brad.”
She extended her hand. “Glad to meet you. Whew! I wasn’t sure what to do. I’ve never stayed in a B&B.”
He smiled and pushed the registration book toward her. “Well, we hope you enjoy your stay. Breakfast is between 7 and 9 every weekday morning with brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 to noon.”
“Will Amy be here in the morning?”
He took the register and placed his hands on the counter and gave her a wide smile. “Of course. She makes the best muffins and scones, but they go fast so it’s best to come to breakfast early.” He pointed toward the dining room. “We meet in there for breakfast and Amy serves tea in the living room at four p.m. during the week.”
“Great.”
He moved around the counter to reach for her bag. “I’ll get your luggage.”
She chuckled. “I can manage. Just need the key.”
Slapping his forehead, he went behind the counter and rummaged through a drawer. “Here you go.” And handed her an old-fashioned skeleton key.
She must have looked at it like it was a snake because she could tell he tried not to laugh.
He chuckled. “Yeah, Amy wants new locks on the doors, but she loves these old-fashioned keys. It’s the one thing guests seem to not like.”
“It’s fine. I was just surprised, that’s all.” She took the key and pocketed it.
Trudging up the stairs with her heavy bag, she wished she’d grabbed her smaller case, but she hadn’t wanted to dig it out from under all her worldly possessions.
Opening the door, her mouth dropped open. The room shrieked history with its deep red Persian carpets and gleaming wood floors. And if that antique canopy bed was as comfortable as it looked with its fluffy white comforter, she’d be asleep in no time.
The thumping in her head faded, and she tugged off her shoes and climbed under the covers, not wanting to change, but just sleep. Then the terrible whirring noise next door started. Her eyes flew open. What in the world?
Her hunger and exhaustion made her cranky, and that didn’t bode well for the person in the next room. Dragging herself out of bed, she muttered about discourteous guests and slipped into her flats. The droning sound stopped just as she was about to pound on the door, then it started again.
She brought her palm up and smacked the door several times until it opened. A rugged guy in army fatigues and boots came into view. “Do you mind?”
He lifted a single brow that made her breath whoosh out.
Of all the nerve. He couldn't care less he made a ruckus.
“Do I mind what?” He gave her a smirk that lit his dark, chocolate-brown eyes.
Annoyed, she waved her hand toward the room. “Stop whatever you’re doing on the wall. I was trying to sleep.”
His frown deepened. “There wasn’t supposed to be anyone here this afternoon.” Opening the door wider, he pointed an electrical tool toward the opening in the wall where wires exploded in every direction and the smell of construction dust permeated the room.
“Can’t whatever it is you’re doing wait until tomorrow? I need to sleep.” She crossed her arms, scrunched her lips, and stood at her full height. It disconcerted her that he didn’t tower over her even in her flats.
He seemed to take in her appearance from head to toe. “No, it can’t. The owner needs to have this room available for guests.”
“I’m a guest and I need quiet.”
“It’s not that loud. Wear ear plugs,” he said.
“Wear ear plugs? Are you kidding me?”
“I’m not kidding.” His face had an aren’t-you’re-being-a-little ridiculous look.
She lifted her chin. “I’ll speak to the owner about the noise.”
He narrowed his gaze and turned away. “You do that,” he said over his shoulder.
She couldn’t believe he’d dismissed her concerns and went back to making noise. Her anger got the best of her as she stomped down the stairs. The headache that had nearly disappeared had returned with a vengeance.
At the bottom of the steps, she didn’t know which way to go. Glancing up the stairs, he stood and held his drill aloft. There was that smirk again. That only made her angrier.
Slamming her hand on the buzzer at the front desk, she fumed. This was not the way she wanted her day to go. So much for a nice afternoon nap to bring her mind back in focus. Maybe small towns differed from resort towns. She didn’t know. She’d only known her hometown.
Brad appeared in the doorway with a smile. “What can I do for you, Kate?”
“I’ve been driving for hours and I have a headache.” Even to her own ears, she sounded like a whiny child. “There’s a guy upstairs in the next room making noise and I can’t sleep.”
He frowned. “Oh. I didn’t think you’d be trying to rest this afternoon. I’ll have him stop.”
She gave him a small smile. “Thank you. That’d be great.”
Brad climbed the stairs behind her as she disappeared into her room. She hadn’t made a very good first impression, and she didn’t know how long she’d be here. Being nasty wasn’t her nature, but her anxiety over trying to find her mother had taken its toll.
When she snuggled into the down comforter, a door slammed, and then blessed silence. Her eyelids drooped, and she fell into a deep sleep fractured with images of finding the letter that almost destroyed her.
***
James Woodford fumed and his arms tingled. A sure sign his PTSD was kicking in. He practiced the deep breathing techniques his counselor suggested, closed his eyes, and thought of big puffy clouds drifting in the sky. It helped in situations where it hadn’t gone to full-blown anxiety. This was the first time in weeks, he’d even felt a hint of it. Of all the arrogant…forget it. Thinking about the crabby guest only made it worse.
Brad barged through the door. His breath came in snatches. “James, you can’t work on that now.”
“What do you mean?” His voice lowered. A trick he learned as an army officer to make his men pay close attention. “Your sister said she needed this job done quickly because her busy season was about to begin. It’s going to take some time to get the WiFi installed in all the guest rooms.”
Amy had begged him to finish this room today so Brad could use the WiFi for work and not have to use his hotspot. And now he’d given in to the woman next door.
“I know, but the guest in the next room needs to rest and Amy will have my hide if she doesn’t stay the full week she’s booked.” He stared at the wall and breathed deep. “I’m sorry.”
Brad’s face brightened. “The room down the hall is vacant and was next in line. Why don’t you work on that room the rest of the day and then finish in here tomorrow?”
“Leave it to a redhead to mess up a good day’s work.” Probably was an entitled rich girl, although her clothes didn’t look it. He remembered her flashing gray eyes, but her attitude left a lot to be desired. The military taught him to scrutinize everyone and everything. “I told her to wear ear plugs.”
He wouldn’t even be in Worthy if his mother hadn’t insisted his cousin needed his help at the diner. He could stay with her, help her at the diner, and look for work in Columbus. It’s what he needed. A fresh start. But his cousin was out of town for a few days and his army buddy told him about the B&B and he bartered for a bed by wiring the rooms while his cousin was out of town.
Brad blinked and his voice rose. “You did what?”
He shrugged and swatted the air. “She banged on the door and demanded I stop working. I offered a solution. Simple as that.”
“No wonder she was upset. Amy’s going to go ballistic.”
“Relax.” He sighed. “It wasn’t that loud. She overreacted. I’ll talk to your sister.”
“No way. I’ll tell Amy.”
“Maybe the woman was hung over. Who sleeps in the middle of the afternoon?” His lip curled.
“She said she’d been driving for hours,”
“Why are you defending her?”
Brad had been in the military and had served with another friend of his. They had a connection, and he felt comfortable having with the conversation.
“I’m not. Amy needs guests to keep this place afloat.”
“I understand, but people who complain to get their own way frost me.” He blew out a long breath. “I’ll move to the other room, but I want to finish this room tomorrow.” He had only a few days to get all the connections up and running before his cousin returned.
“Thanks, man.” Brad jabbed him in the arm.
Grabbing the tools he had laid on the floor in a precise manner, he shoved them in his tool belt. Brad swept the debris and dropped them into the construction bucket. A fine layer of dust covered everything, but the exposed wires caught his eye.
“There’s nothing we can do about the wires, since sleeping beauty needs her rest.”
Brad turned a watchful eye on him. “Wow. That cute redhead must have gotten on your one good nerve.”
He ignored his buddy. The fiery redhead hadn’t gotten on any nerve. The military trained him to complete tasks. And it was ingrained. “I’ll finish this room tomorrow. That is if the princess next door doesn’t object,” he said.
He hoped his cousin returned soon. Interacting with that spitfire wasn’t on his agenda.

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