When The Runway Went South (4 page)

"Maybe he'll find his way home, Ally." Kat gently led Ally back into the house.

"Now I'm afraid to stay alone without Tank. Would you stay with me tonight?" asked Ally.

"The air mattress is not big enough for the two of us. Ally, just calm down, I don't want you to spend the night with me in case Tank comes back."

Before sitting back down, Ally opened the front door hoping to see Tank. She did. Tank stood there, attached to a leash being held by none other than Caleb Strait. Tank and Caleb looked like old buddies with Tank gazing adoringly at Caleb and wagging his tail at the sight of Ally.

"I believe he belongs to you?" Caleb sensed Ally's distress and decided to go easy on her.

"Oh Caleb, I am so sorry. I had no idea he would do something like this. I swear it won't happen again." Ally got on her knees to address Tank. "You're locked up for life buddy, but am I ever glad to see you." Tank look bored as Ally hugged him.

"Just how did he get loose? The fence is still up," inquired Caleb. "He got into the barn and raised a ruckus with my hens. He woke me up out of a sound sleep." Caleb yawned and scratched his chin.

"He dug a hole underneath the fence. I fell into it and almost broke my ankle," explained Ally.

"What are you going to do about it? I can’t have him doing this. You haven't even moved in yet and look what’s happened?" Frustration started to build in Caleb's voice.

"Like I said, I'm sorry. I won't let him out without a leash until I figure out what to do. I promise." Ally stood firm.

"Maybe you should call one of those invisible fence places first thing tomorrow morning and get one installed along the fence," suggested Kat trying to break the tension between Caleb and Ally.

"At least someone has a head on her shoulders," commented Caleb. He started to walk towards his truck. He then turned around to Ally. "If he's your security system, I'd call Ranger American in the morning. That mutt doesn't have a mean bone in his body." With that, Caleb got into his truck and sped off.

"He's not a mutt, he's a pedigree," answered Ally, but her words fell on deaf ears. Caleb looked even more handsome with the stubble in his beard. Ally shook her head to stop looking anymore.

Caleb drove off, the image of Ally looking so pathetic just burned into his mind. Her blonde hair had been tousled like she had just come out of bed; her big blue eyes with a hint of tears in them and those legs of hers; long and lean, just the way he liked them. He knew she'd be the death of him. Caleb shook his head in defeat.

Chapter Four

Ally's moving truck arrived at eight in the morning ,but they were missing their local back up crew to help them. If they didn't show up soon, Ally and Kat would be the crew. While the men waited outside, Ally made a pot of coffee and brought it to them. The locksmith had shown up, and after a hassle about the price, the new locks were installed and he left. Ally and Tank had gone out earlier for a morning run, exploring her new property. Other than Caleb behind her, the nearest neighbor lived over a mile away. Now that she lived in a gated community where everyone had their own locked gate, Ally figured she couldn't knock on her neighbor's door for a cup of sugar. Oh, well. It suited her perfectly since she needed to get her life together with her second career. She went back inside and gave Tank a bone and locked him in her bedroom. Content with his treat, Tank didn’t even notice Ally had gone. Going back into the kitchen, Ally sat on the floor and used her phone, while she looked up invisible fences for Tank. It would cost an arm and a leg based on the acreage. Regardless, she made an appointment for tomorrow for them to install it.

"We're starting anyway, ma'am. They still haven't shown up, but I have to have the truck back tonight. Fortunately, there isn’t much." The captain of the moving crew appeared frustrated. "Just can't find good help these days."

"I know. I have a big house to fill," said Ally.

"I'll say. Is it just you here? No mister, no children?"

"I think that's a very personal question."

"Sorry." He grinned at Ally lasciviously because he knew darn well her situation. "I bet you can afford ten homes like this."

"This one will do. Let's go." Ally turned her attention to the truck to see where her help would be needed. Kat showed up around ten and helped Ally unload the boxes for the kitchen while Ally had the crew set up her bedroom, her massive wardrobe and the television. They were done by noon and Ally couldn't have been happier to see them go. Here Caleb had thought she would create a ruckus and she hadn't. Score: Ally one and Caleb one, only because he had gone easy on Tank.

"You were right about the furniture, Ally. You don't have any. The kitchen table you have is too tiny. You need a dining room set." Kat walked to the master bedroom and peeked in. "The room just dwarfs your bedroom set. Oh boy. Visa? Here comes Ally Duncan." Kat turned around and grinned at Ally.

Ally crossed her arms and glared at her sister. "Very funny, Kat. This will be a blast to redecorate, I mean look at the possibilities. I can't wait to start. Here is my list of everything I need to do." Ally showed Kat an Excel spread sheet, noting the events and times of all the appointments. "This afternoon, the Verizon man is coming for the phone, television and Internet service and the new washer and dryer will be installed." Ally stopped in mid-sentence. "Kat? Do you smell gas?"

"I do, when I put away the pans underneath the range, I smelled it." They both went to the stove and the smell appeared stronger than before.

"I have the gas company's number on my phone." Ally dialed the number and only to be told that an agent would be out within the hour, since it sounded like a leak.

"Go ahead and put other things away,” suggested Kat. "Let's open some windows in the kitchen for some fresh air.”

"Kat, its cold out there, it's only forty degrees." Ally shivered.

"Do you want to pass out? Trust me." Kat totally ignored her sister and opened the windows. Ally shrugged and went back to unpacking.

They worked steadily until the gas agent arrived. As Ally led him to the kitchen, he glanced around at all of the boxes. "You just moved in?" He smiled at Ally.

Duh
. "Today. Here it is." She led him to the gas range. He pulled out a meter and held it to the range. The alarm sounded loudly in the vacant house.

"Yup, you have a leak. Your gas is going off. I can’t fix this because it has nothing to do with your gas line. It's with the appliance, so you'll have to fix it yourself." He smiled at her in glee.

"Why wasn't this caught during the home inspection?" Ally shook her head in frustration.

"Don't rightly know, ma'am. It should have. Like I said, you'll have to fix it yourself." The agent stood his ground.

"Fix it myself?" repeated Ally dully, a headache forming in the back of her head. "I can’t do that. Who would you recommend?"

"A plumber. However, in Texas, once you have it repaired, you have to have the city inspector come out to look over the fixes to make sure they're up to code. Once they approve it, then they'll call the gas company to have it turned back on. Since it’s a Friday, no one can come out from the town, so the earliest you can have your gas back on is Monday."

"Do you have a plumber you would recommend?" Ally couldn't believe this information.

"No, ma'am. I'm not from this part of Texas." He smiled lazily at Ally.

"Oh." Ally looked at Kat for support.

"Ally, I'll find someone for you by running home and getting my yellow pages," offered Kat.

The agent put away his tools and got ready to leave. "Ma'am?" He addressed Ally. "Welcome to Texas." He smiled and left.

Ally wanted to smack him. Half-tempted to call the gas company to complain, Ally whipped out her phone, but Kat intervened.

"Ally, don't you have a home warranty? Call Dottie." Kat dialed the number and handed Ally the cell phone.

"Dottie? You won't believe what just happened. My gas has been turned off because there's a leak. Why wasn't it caught in the inspection?" rushed Ally.

"I don't believe it, either. I didn't smell anything when we walked through. I'll call the inspector and talk to him about it. In the mean time, you'll need a plumber. Call the home warranty first and they will arrange for someone to come out," advised Dottie.

"Thanks, Dottie." Ally ended the call and looked morosely at Kat. "I can't start cooking for you yet. When is your party?"

"Next Tuesday and, yes, you can. Those are electric ovens, not gas. I'm going home to prepare the Cornish hens, but I'll be back shortly. Are you going to be all right?"

"I'm a big girl. I can handle these things," said Ally.

"I feel badly leaving you alone." Kat hesitated a moment before she left.

Feeling down, Ally went outside in the backyard while she waited for the plumber, Sears and Verizon to show up. She decided to look at the hole where Tank had dug wondering how she to fill it. She needed to find people quickly and she didn't even have a phone book. Tank barked furiously at her for being locked up and he made sure no one could ignore him. Ally kept walking back and forth where she thought Tank's hole had been and couldn't find it. "I know I'm not crazy," she muttered. "Where is it?"

"I filled it up for you," answered Caleb from the other side of the fence. He sat on his horse looking down at Ally.

"Oh." Ally was lost in his beautiful, green eyes. She determined they were definite lethal weapons. "Thank you. I appreciate you being so neighborly."

"What's going on over there? I saw the energy truck show up right after the moving truck left. Having problems again?" Caleb raised one eyebrow.

Ally debated whether or not to tell him but, since he had filled up Tank's hole for her, she could be nice. "My sister, Kat, and I were unpacking the kitchen and we smelled gas. Obviously, I called the gas company. They shut it off and won't fix it because it has nothing to do with an outside line. It's the appliance. I just called the home warranty company and they're sending out a plumber. According to everyone, I have to wait until the city inspectors give the okay before I can turn the gas back on. I won't have any heat or hot water until sometime on Monday."

Caleb kept quiet for a minute, assessing the situation. Hell, he should invite her to stay over at his house until then. He probably wouldn't let her leave the bedroom, though. He quickly nipped that thought in the bud. That wouldn't be very gentlemanly on his part.

"We are in for a cold snap," he said. “How far away does your sister live?"