Page 16 of Fight or Flight

Sam and Sophie must’ve heard Doc’s old battered Ford truck, because they jumped out from their napping spots and were running around in circles, apparently waiting for her instructions. “Go,” she said, knowing both shepherds knew exactly what the word meant. They ran to the kitchen, waiting for her to open the door. She clicked out of the app, shut her computer down, and opened the doors for Sam and Sophie. In the kitchen, she made a pot of coffee for Doc Baker for the second time that day. She wasn’t sure what her other guests drank, but she’d ask when they arrived.

It occurred to her that she’d never had guests other than Doc Baker. Even he wasn’t a guest in the true sense of the word. He took care of Sam and Sophie. However, Katherine did consider him a friend, especially in her isolated world. Not a single soul besides him had ever entered her home. Her groceries and her online orders were always left by the door, and usually her delivery people would set bags and boxes as close to the door as they could without actually entering. That way, she didn’t have to go outside to the deck to bring her purchases into the house. Maybe Doc Baker was right. This could be the beginning of a positive change for her. Having control of her life for so long, it would be difficult to adjust to anything different, but at least she was giving the idea some thought. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel the usual beginnings of panic that normally hit her when she thought of going out into the world.

Katherine busied herself in the kitchen, scrubbing the sink after Duckie’s bath and wiping down the counters, though not excessively. She refused to let hyper cleanliness become a problem. With that in mind, she folded the cloth she’d used and placed it next to the dish detergent.

She heard Doc’s truck pulling in, along with another vehicle. She didn’t want to appear anxious, so she took a deep breath and then exhaled, hoping it would keep her calm while a stranger was inside her home. She could hear Sam and Sophie barking outside.

“K,” Doc Baker called out.

“In here! I’ve just made a fresh pot of coffee.” She’d ordered yet another fancy coffee maker a couple of weeks ago, and this was the first time she’d used it. This was coffee maker number four. She’d donate one to the delivery people. Or two.

Doc Baker came inside and sat down on a barstool. “Smells good, kiddo. I wanted to check with you before I asked those two inside for a quick introduction. You good with that?” His blue eyes were dark with concern.

Two? The guy with the horses and who else? Must be Doc’s friend’s son, Katherine reasoned. She took another deep breath and then said, “Sure, ask them to come inside.”

Uncertain if they’d been informed of her illness, she’d do her best to appear as normal as anyone else. Her hair was still in a long braid from yesterday, but Katherine raked her hand over the top of her head to smooth down any flyaway hairs. Glad she still wore the Nikes, she walked with Doc Baker to the open doors, standing beside him.

Leaning against the deck were two men, both around her age. Her heart rate increased and her face flushed when they stepped inside.

One man appeared average in height and weight, nothing remarkable about him other than his long sandy blond hair and his skin leathered from too much time in the sun. He stepped forward and held out his hand and introduced himself. “Carson Murphy.”

Katherine shook his hand. The wordsstrongandcapablecame to mind, as his hands were callused and rough.

“Friends call me Car,” the man added, grinning.

She released his hand. “Carson,Car,I’m K.” She used Doc’s nickname for her. If these two didn’t know her pseudonym, she’d stick to the nickname for now. Katherine returned Car’s grin with a shy smile.

“I can’t thank you enough for the use of your stables,” Car said. “I won’t be here too long. I’ll be out of your hair in just a few days.”

It had been so long since she’d looked at a real live man close to her own age that she felt bashful. Worse, the still-silent man beside him was movie-star handsome. His hair was black as a raven’s wing, and he had light blue eyes. He was the complete opposite of his friend. He was very tall and very broad in the right places. Katherine took a deep breath again. She couldn’t believe two real live men were standing in her doorway.

“Tyler Newlon,” the other man said, offering his hand and smiling at her as if he knew her intimately.

He must be the psychiatrist. Wanting to appear normal, she shot him a slight smile. “Pleased to meet you,” Tyler said as she extended her hand to his. His hand was large yet smooth, unlike his friend’s. His fingers were cool as they touched hers. She liked the feel of his hand in hers. Momentarily surprised at her reaction, she quickly withdrew her hand, cramming both hands in her jeans pockets. She nodded, giving herself a couple of seconds to recover.

“You, too,” she finally replied. “I’ve made a pot of coffee.” Katherine turned toward the kitchen. “I’d like to hear all about your horses, if you’d care to tell me.”

Sam and Sophie chose that moment to barrel through the doors, panting, their tongues hanging out of their mouths. Slobbering, they circled Doc Baker like he was a piece of meat.

“Take a drink,” Katherine said to the dogs. They obeyed.

“Good dogs. You train them yourself?” asked Car.

Katherine took four mugs from the cabinet, filling them with coffee. The action was unfamiliar, since she normally only used two mugs. One for her, one for Doc Baker.

“I did. I’ve had them since they were pups. They’re brother and sister,” she told him, surprised at how relaxed she was.

She placed three mugs of coffee, a bowl of sugar, and cream on the kitchen island. “Please, help yourselves,” she said, thankful she’d remembered her social manners.

Carson reached for a cup, sipping the coffee without adding cream or sugar. Tyler and Doc drank their coffee black, as well. It pleased her that these men drank black coffee, for some odd reason. It came across as very manly to her, though she would never put a voice to these silly thoughts.

“I guess you ought to explain why you need the stables,” Doc Baker told Carson.

“Of course, yes. I’m a horse farmer in North Florida. Tyler and me, well, we’ve been buddies for as long as I can remember. We met in college, just like our fathers. I sold these two horses last week to a fella here in Blowing Rock. He’s building new stables, but they’re not quite finished. He needs four or five days at most. I hope this isn’t too long or too much trouble. I’m going to hang out with Tyler for a few days, and so I’ll take care of the horses. Hopefully you won’t even know they’re here.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind having them here,” Katherine said. Had Doc told him she hadn’t even realized she had stables? She hoped not. It was embarrassing. Maybe this would motivate her to change her lifestyle. It seemed like all she could think about was needing motivation to get her out of the house.

Sophie chose that moment to race out of the kitchen, only to quickly return with Duckie hanging from her mouth. The shepherd dropped the plush old lamb next to Doc Baker, her paw pressing on Duckie. It was her way of wielding power over toys and, sometimes, treats.

---