Beauty Within Excerpt
Rain drops splattered onto Katherine’s windshield as she pulled a crumpled parking ticket out of her purse. She groaned and rested her head on the steering wheel. It was only a small fine but it embarrassed her that several people in the town square witnessed her receiving it.
The police officers in her small town usually let small things slide, but not this new one from the city. He saw her racing towards the car, toting two kids but still slapped the ticket on her car.
Katherine pictured him in her mind—tall with blond hair, striking blue eyes and angular jaw line. She might have found him handsome, if it weren’t for the permanent scowl chiseled into his features.
She sat up and stuffed the ticket back in her purse. Oh well. It’s only a little ticket, not the end of the world.
James would have never let her live this one down though. She imagined him chuckling at her in the passenger seat. “You’re first ticket? That’s my Kate, always breaking the law.”
“Yep, next thing you know, I’ll be robbing a bank…” She grinned at her joke. Sometimes it calmed her nerves to pretend James was still around.
“Mommy?”
Katherine swept the thought away as she turned and smiled at her four-year-old daughter in the backseat. “Hey, sleepy head. Ready to go in the store?”
Lillian yawned while rubbing her eyes. “Again?”
“Yes. This is the last stop, Lil. We’ll get a cookie from the bakery on the way out, ok?”
Lillian jumped in her seat and clapped her hands together, making her brown curls bounce. “A cookie? Ok, let’s go!”
Katherine giggled at her daughter’s enthusiasm. They both shared a mutual disdain for running errands, but she hoped the promise of a cookie would keep her happy for a while.
She peered into the baby mirror. Her twelve-month-old son saw her reflection, grinned and started jabbering in baby talk. “Ma ma ma.”
Katherine smiled as she grabbed her purse, thanking God for blessing her with two amazing children. Even though times were rough, she had so much to be thankful for.
A minute later they arrived in the store, soaking wet from the rain. Her uncle greeted them at the entrance with a cart. “Kate! Just the person I wanted to see.”
She put JJ in the cart and hugged him, the top of her head barely reaching his chest. “Hey, Uncle Luke.”
Lillian ran up to him. “What about me?”
He scooped the little girl up in a bear hug. “You too, Lil Rosy Cheeks.”
Katherine remembered when Uncle Luke could still pick her up like that. It warmed her heart that after only a week back in town; Lillian had already taken to him.
Luke put her down and leaned towards Katherine’s ear. “Heard you had a little run in with the law,” he whispered.
She groaned. “Wow. That news spread like a wildfire.”
Luke chuckled. “Oh, you know Mrs. McCleary. She’s got her radar on all the time.”
She shook her head, remembering the little elderly woman who ran the antique store in the town square. She also happened to be the town gossip. “I guess that’s my warm welcome back to town, huh?”
“Aw…don’t let her scare you off.” His face turned serious. “So, did you get your business license?”
Katherine frowned. “Nope. It’s going to take a few weeks to process. I signed all the papers today, but all I have to show for it so far is a parking ticket.”
He patted her shoulder. “Keep your chin up, Kate. God will work everything out in his timing.”
She nodded, knowing he was talking about more than just her salon. Moving back to Kansas had been a huge adjustment. Her entire life seemed topsy-turvy at the moment.
“Well, I better get back to work or my boss is gonna fire me.” Luke winked at her. “Oh. Gee, I forgot…I am the boss.”
Katherine giggled as he walked away and then took out her list. Eggs, milk, cheese, paper towels…Hopefully we’ll be in and out. Lillian clung to her hand as they weaved through the aisles, filling the cart with the items on her list, while returning a few unwanted items that JJ’s chubby little fingers grabbed.
Her teenaged cousin, Carmen gave her a shy wave from behind one of the cash registers. Katherine waved back, the friendly atmosphere putting her at ease. Being in her home town suited her much more than living on the military base. Sure, she didn’t miss the gossip that came with living here, but she had her family. That made any hardship well worth it.
The shopping trip went smoothly until they reached the Dairy aisle and JJ started to whimper. He’d lost his pacifier somewhere.
She turned to her daughter. “Lil, have you seen JJ’s binky?”
Lillian shrugged. “No…but I smell cookies. Are we gonna get one now?”
Katherine puffed air in frustration. “Not yet. Please be patient, Lil.” She rummaged through the diaper bag for a spare pacifier as JJ’s whimpers turned into shrieks. At last she found one at the very bottom.
She gave it to him and kissed his cheek. Right away, he calmed down and his happy demeanor returned.
Katherine sighed. “Ok, Lil. Let’s get your cookie… Lil?” She looked down and her heart skipped a beat. She was gone.
In a frantic daze, Katherine hurried down several aisles and calling Lillian’s name until she reached the checkout lanes. Then she spotted Carmen and raced towards her. “I can’t find Lillian! Did you see her pass this way?”
Carmen’s blue eyes widened. “No…where did you last see her?”
Katherine gasped for breath and bit her lip to keep her emotions at bay. “Over in the refrigerated aisle…by the milk. She just vanished…”
“Ok, I’ll go get Dad.” Carmen darted over to Luke.
When they both came rushing over, Katherine covered her face and started sobbing. “It’s my fault. Why did I let go of her hand?”
Luke placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s going to be ok. Kate, look at me.” She obeyed and wiped her tears. “We’re going to find her, ok?” She nodded, her Uncle’s kind brown eyes bringing her some comfort.”
Luke jumped into action and started barking out orders. “Carmen, make an announcement over the intercom that there’s a child missing.”
Carmen flipped her blond pony tail and made the announcement as Luke issued commands to the other cashiers. “Alice, stand over by the entrance. Don’t let anyone out without asking them if they have seen her. I just need one of you at the register and the rest of you, spread out and look for a four -year-old girl with green eyes and curly brown hair. Her name’s Lillian.”
He turned back to Katherine. “You, come with me. We’ll check the rest of the aisles.”
Katherine nodded and followed her uncle’s lanky strides through the aisles, praying all the way.
Please, God. I’ve already lost my husband. Not Lil too…I won’t be able to bear it…
An announcement over the intercom interrupted her prayer. “Katherine Arnold to the bakery. Katherine Arnold to the bakery…”
She took in a sharp breath and locked eyes with her uncle. “The bakery…of course, she wanted a cookie!”
He grabbed the cart. “Just go. I’ll watch the baby.”
She nodded and sprinted towards the bakery, heart thundering in her chest. Oh God, please let her be there…
She reached the bakery and leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath.
“Mommy!” Her little girl barreled towards her. Katherine knelt and caught Lillian in her arms, relief washing over her like a cool breeze.
She choked back tears and smoothed back her daughter’s curly hair. “Oh Lil…Never scare mommy like that again.” She leaned back and wiped some cookie crumbs off her daughter’s tear stained cheeks. “You naughty little scamp. Who bought you a cookie?”
Lillian grinned and pointed. “He did.”
Katherine’s eyes followed her daughter’s pointing finger to a man in uniform, sitting at a table a few feet away.
She blushed, recognizing the cop who had given her the parking ticket that morning. What were the odds?
He stood and walked towards her. “Well, we just keep running into each other today, don’t we?”
Officer Ryan Hudson watched the young woman’s face blush ten shades of red when she recognized him. He was just as surprised to see her again but didn’t let on. Instead he remained stone faced and all business. “Good afternoon, Ma’am. I’m Officer Hudson.”
She pushed her hair out of her face and shook his hand. “I’m Katherine Arnold.”
The red shade on her cheeks made her even more beautiful than at their first meeting, making it hard for him to concentrate. He cleared his throat. “I’m assuming, you’re this child’s mother? I found her crying over here by the bakery counter.”
She bit her lip and squeezed the little girl’s hand tighter. “Yes, thank you for finding her. I assure you, this will not happen again.” She peered down at her daughter. “Right, Lillian? You’re going to stay with mommy next time?”
Lillian nuzzled closer to her. “Yes, mommy.”
Katherine nudged her daughter. “Don’t you have something to tell Officer Hudson?
She peeked up at him with a sheepish grin. “Thank you for the cookie, Officer….Handsome...”
Katherine covered her mouth as a giggle escaped. “Sorry, she has a little trouble with names.”
Ryan’s tough guy exterior melted away. Lillian reminded him of his niece back home. He chuckled and knelt to her level. “You’re welcome. Remember to always stay close to your mommy, ok?”
“Ok,” Lillian whispered and then hid behind her mothers legs.
Ryan stood again, deciding to discard the lecture he usually gave in these types of situations. He could tell the child was well loved and care for. Katherine appeared to be a good mother just having a bad day. Still, he had to stick to protocol.
“Can I see your ID ma’am?”
“Oh, yes.” She rifled through her purse and then gave it to him with a trembling hand. For the first time in his career, Ryan actually felt guilty for issuing a parking ticket. She seemed a little shaken up.
He studied her ID and then handed it back. “So I see you’re from Nevada. Visiting family?”
She shook her head. “No, I just moved here with my children…”
They were interrupted by the store manager pushing a baby in a cart and another officer named Shawn.
Katherine wasted no time unbuckling the baby from the cart. As she cuddled her young son and daughter, Ryan noticed a wedding ring on her finger. Questions swirled around in his mind. The way she said, “I” just moved here, instead of “We” made him wonder why her husband was out of the picture.
Shawn approached him. “Hey Hudson, is everything alright here?”
“Yeah, I just need to ask a few more questions…”
Shawn patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Kate and I go way back. I’ll finish up with the questions.” He winked at Katherine and she smiled back, still cuddling her kids.
Ryan hesitated for a second, still curious about the young woman, but obeyed his superior and sat down to finish his lunch.
He kept an eye on Shawn as he hugged Katherine and listened in on their conversation. “I’m so glad you’re alright. What happened?”
Her response was muffled as store employees filed into the small dining area and huddled around the little family. It seemed she was related to, or friends with everyone in town.
After a few moments, Shawn left the group and sat across from him at the table. “So, I hear that you’re a hero.”
Ryan shook his head. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I came in here for lunch and found the little girl crying.” He shrugged. “I just did my job.”
“Way to redeem yourself, after the parking ticket incident.”
Ryan frowned. “Who told you about that?”
Shawn chuckled and lounged back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. “You’d be surprised how fast word gets around these parts. Especially if it has to do with Kate Riley…I mean Arnold. You’re real brave giving her a ticket, by the way.”
Annoyance billowed inside him over the small town drama. “Am I missing something? Where I’m from, everyone is expected to obey the law, no matter how beautiful they are...” He paused and cleared his throat. “I mean, no matter who they are.” Ryan stared down at his plate, embarrassed by his slip up. Just three weeks in this town and he felt like he was already losing his edge.
Shawn laughed. “Oh, I’m not saying we show favoritism. But since there’s not a lot of traffic on the square, we usually cut people some slack if they’re a little late on the meter.”
Ryan calmed. “Well, I wish I would have known that sooner.”
“It’s alright. We’re a bit more laid back here than what you’re used to. You’ll get comfortable with how we do things soon enough.”
Not likely. Ryan considered rules and regulations an important part of his job and had never been a part of such a relaxed department. It was a big change from the department he’d been a part of in Wichita. It made him uneasy. Hopefully I’ll be out of here soon, he thought to himself.
He made small talk with Shawn but still remained distracted by the chatter of the group around Katherine and her kids. There was something so familiar about her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
He looked over at Shawn. “She’s just a regular small town celebrity, isn’t she?”
Shawn raised an eyebrow and gave him a sly grin. “You really don’t know who she is, do you?”
Ryan shook his head. “Is there an inside joke I’m missing?”
“Oh, you’ll understand here in a sec.”
Right on cue the sheriff arrived on the scene and the room fell silent. Ryan crossed his arms and sighed. Pretty soon the whole town was going to wind up in the grocery store.
Katherine smiled and gave the Sheriff a hug. “Hi, Dad.”
Ryan’s eyes widened as he made the connection. He recognized her from the picture on Sheriff Riley’s desk at his interview a few weeks ago. Had he really given the Sheriff’s daughter a ticket?
Love this Rachel! I wouldn't have known you are a novice writer as this excerpt had my attention all the way through. Keep on writing! :) <3
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elly! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and I'm encouraged by your kind words. It's great to meet you and I hope you have a blessed day.
Delete~Rachel.