Searching

"Okay," responded Taylor after looking at her brother for approval, "It seems like the Corvair Family Trust might not pose too great of a risk. You said the rent would be forty-two hundred per month. Why so low?"

Katie softened her tone but still held Taylor in a firm stare.

"If you want it to be higher, I can arrange that. I already told you that the trust holds the title, which should have made it obvious that there isn't a mortgage lien on the property. Without a mortgage, the only expenses that the owners incur are related to taxes, insurance and condo association fees. The tenants pay for their utilities, so the rent more than covers the expenses for the unit."

"I just don't want you to think that we need some sort of break or special consideration on the rent. Our parents are going to be paying the rent for me, and they seldom balk at giving me what I want."

"So, he gets a free ride by mooching off his sister?" observed Katie, nodding toward the still silent brother.

This brought a smile to Tyler's face for the first time. "Now that you mention it, I guess I do. Thanks, Sis."

Taylor smacked his arm playfully and said, "Let's check out the upstairs now. I need to see if there is a room suitable for your dungeon."

"Always the little princess" Tyler chuckled. "Lead the way."

After touring the rest of the condo, Taylor and Tyler agreed that they wanted to proceed with the lease application. Katie had reservations, especially where Taylor and her attitude were concerned, but locked up the unit and led them across to her condo to fill out the necessary forms.

"Oh my God!" shrieked Taylor. "What is that? It is so cute!"

Katie and Tyler followed his sister's extended finger and saw that she was pointing to a large glass aquarium-type container along one wall of the living room. There were portals on either side that led into clear plastic tubes that snaked around the living room, connecting other smaller rectangular glass containers. Each container held approximately half of its capacity in coarse sand. There were little mounds and burrows obvious in several of the containers of sand, and each was being warmed by a heat lamp mounted under the lid. Jumping around on top of the sand in the largest glass container was a small tan creature that resembled a miniature kangaroo.

Katie walked over to the largest aquarium and withdrew a plastic container from a compartment below it. She held the container and beckoned Tyler and Taylor to come closer.

"This is Sinbad. He's the pet jerboa that my older brother got for me. Jerboas are typically nocturnal, but Sinbad knows it's near twilight and time for his feeding. Otherwise, he would probably be in one of his burrows and you wouldn't get to see him. Do you want to feed him?"

"What's a jerboa, and where did it come from?" asked Taylor as she studied the large ears and oversized hind legs of the little critter that was still jumping around on the sand. "It looks like a kangaroo rat."

Katie corrected her, "Jerboas are from the family 'Dipodidae' while kangaroo rats belong to the family 'Heteromydae'. Kangaroo rats are native to North America and really don't resemble jerboas very much at all. Jerboas are a species of rodent found mostly in southern Asia and the Middle East. They live primarily in desert environments which is what his habitat here is trying to simulate for him".

" In a lot of ways, they are like a gerbil, but their diet is quite different. For example, jerboas don't eat hard seeds, but they love insects. At my home in Texas, I used to feed him scorpions. He also eats the remnants of any flowers that get delivered to me, but since that is a rarity, we've been sticking with the crickets and supplementing them with parsley."

Taylor leaned in to examine the jerboa more carefully while her brother silently watched.

"He is adorable! Look how he jumps around like a little kangaroo. Okay, yes, I would like to feed him."

Katie slid open a slot on the lid of the aquarium before opening the container with approximately a dozen live crickets crawling around inside it. She pinched one of the insects gently between her fingers, removed it from the container, and resealed the lid. She offered the squirming cricket to Taylor as her brother watched with a smile on his face. Taylor never hesitated when she took the cricket between two of her fingers and waited for further instructions.

"All you need to do is drop the cricket onto the sand," Katie told her. "Sinbad will do the rest."

Without hesitation, Taylor moved her hand over the open slot of the aquarium lid and released her hold on the cricket. It landed on the sand about five inches from the last place that Sinbad had hopped to.

The three watched patiently for the jerboa to become aware of the cricket and then silently observed the quick capture of the insect by Sinbad's mouth and the use of his tiny front paws to position the insect for eventual consumption. Within thirty seconds of catching the cricket, there was no evidence that it ever existed in the jerboa habitat. Sinbad only hopped around for a few more minutes before scurrying through one of the plastic tubes and into a burrow inside one of the other containers.

Taylor continued to watch the various aquariums and tunnels for a sight of Sinbad, while Tyler examined what he could see of Katie's condo. The walls were essentially bare, and there was a noticeable absence of anything that could be construed as 'personal' on display. Everything was extremely neat and tidy but somehow seemed utilitarian. He thought that another person could immediately occupy this condo and not bat an eye about the belongings that existed currently.

Katie observed Tyler's inspection of her home for several minutes before she returned the container of crickets to its storage place and led her guests to the dining room table where she had previously set a disposable electronic file tablet containing the lease application, credit inquiry, and background check forms. Taylor and Tyler took seats on one side of the table, so Katie chose a chair across from them.

Katie opened the file tablet and said, "You haven't asked about any deposits that will be required, so let me explain how we work those..."

"Deposits won't be an issue," Taylor said, once again interrupting her.

"Even so" Katie continued, "We will expect you to pay the first and last month's rent upon occupancy. Any cleaning or security deposit amount required will be determined once your credit and background checks are completed and reviewed."

"Our parents will pay whatever is required" repeated Taylor.

Katie closed the file tablet and said, "Then why don't you take these forms with you so your parents can review them as well? The lease agreement will be between all occupants of the unit and whoever is responsible for paying the rent if someone other than the occupants."

Taylor squeezed her brother's arm and said, "Does this mean that you'll rent us the condo?"

Katie stood and escorted them to the front door as she said, "If the unit is still available when you return with the completed forms and the background and credit checks are satisfactory, I will be happy to rent it to you at that time."

Tyler led his visibly elated sister out the front door, with the file tablet clasped tightly in her hand. Katie shook her head at the retreating figures, then closed and locked it. This hadn't been a totally wasted afternoon. Tyler Oglethorpe-Davis radiated handsomeness that seemed to linger long after he had left. Plus, there was something about the way his eyes studied her that intrigued Katie.

Chapter Two

Katie mentally kicked herself for leaving her daypack on the counter at her condo. It's not like spending fifteen dollars for a bottle of water would break her, but she prided herself on her organizational skills and always being prepared. As she waited in the concession stand line, she took some solace in knowing that a portion of her purchase would go to benefit the same charity that had her participating in this classic car show event at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

As she waited in line, she kept having what she had always only been able to describe as a 'mental tap on the shoulder'. She had always associated the sensing of another's presence as being related singularly to the bond that she had with her older brother, JR, but that had only happened when he was close by, and not half-way around the world as he was currently. So why was she sensing that a 'companion' was close by? She finally reached the front of the line and made her request.

"Please add that to my charges," said the man's voice behind her just as she was preparing to pay for her bottle of water.

Katie turned to the man, whose voice she didn't recognize, and immediately knew why it was foreign to her. The entire time that Tyler Oglethorpe-Davis had been in her presence yesterday, he had spoken only a few words.

"Thank you, Mr. Davis," said Katie as she accepted the bottle of water from the concession stand vendor and stepped aside to allow Tyler to approach the window.

She started walking away when he interrupted her, "Hang on a second."

Tyler moved away from the window after paying for Katie's water, but without ordering anything for himself. He quickly fell into step beside her.

She glanced over at him as she continued walking. Her senses remained alert, but comfortable rather than alarmed.

She asked, "Aren't you going to get anything for yourself?"

"Not right now. I was going to get something for my date, but she'll be fine for a few minutes more."

He pointed towards a crowd of people that were surrounding a pretty blonde woman who was holding court and politely signing autographs.

"That's Haley Simmons in case you don't recognize her. Her publicist convinced her that being seen at this charity event would be good for her image," Tyler informed Katie.

Katie knew that Haley Simmons was a popular actress and had been in several recent blockbuster movies only because she had seen her face on the cover of multiple magazines while checking out at the supermarket. She hadn't seen any of the movies herself.

She stopped in front of one of the classic vehicles on display and stared at her reflected image in Tyler's sunglasses, but didn't respond to his words.

Seeing that Katie was remaining silent, Tyler added, "I wanted to apologize to you for Taylor's overly aggressive questioning yesterday. This is her first major business transaction, and I'm afraid that she took it more seriously than someone with a little experience might have done. I also apologize that I wasn't more aware of her intentions so I could have coached her beforehand."

Katie leaned against the side of the classic pickup truck on display and said, "No harm done. Are you guys still interested in applying to rent the unit?"

Tyler smiled down at her. He hadn't appreciated how tall she was yesterday, but as he stood in front of her now, he realized that she was only a few inches shorter than his six-foot-two-inch height. She had a nerdy kind of cuteness about her, but there was also some indescribable energy radiating from around her that he hadn't noticed previously. She was wearing a light plaid shirt opened over a pale blue tank top and khaki cargo shorts. The tennis shoes they both wore wouldn't be adding much to their natural height, so they were on par there. Then why, he wondered, did her legs seem to go on forever?

"Sure," Tyler said. "Taylor is at home showing the forms to our parents this afternoon. She had most of it completed yesterday but just wants to verify a few of the items with them before returning it to you. I expect that she will be calling you this evening to discuss meeting up with you again. So, what brings you here? Are you interested in classic cars?"

Katie extended her arm in a gesture towards the pickup that she was leaning against and smiled, "This brings me here. I don't typically show it, but I do so when the cause being supported is important to me."

Tyler lowered his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose and examined the pickup truck. It was definitely a unique vehicle. He walked slowly around the truck, noting every detail as if he was one of the judges who would be awarding the show prizes shortly. He was only one of the several admirers who were checking out the truck.

"I recognize the Chevrolet emblem, but nothing else about this truck is familiar to me," said Tyler.

"I'm not surprised," Katie told him. "Only three hundred and sixty-nine of this particular model were produced, so it's pretty rare."

"What model is it?"

"It's a 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Loadside. It's one of the '95 Series', but this one was the top of the line because it has the larger 164 cubic inch engine that wasn't used in regular production until 1964, as well as the four-speed manual transmission instead of only three speeds."

"Speaking of the engine," Tyler said as he glanced into the cab, "Where is it located?"

Katie led him to the tailgate in the back and lowered it.

"The air-cooled horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine is located in the rear of the vehicle under the slightly raised cargo floor."

As several other onlookers jockeyed for position at the back of the truck, she opened a panel in the bed of the cargo area and displayed the spotless and gleaming engine compartment.

Tyler examined the engine for a few seconds before stepping back and navigated the growing crowd as he walked around the truck once again. He paused at the driver's door with the window rolled down and peered once more inside the cab.

"You own this?" he asked Katie.

Katie left the engine compartment open for the crowd to examine and then came to stand next to Tyler. She reached around his body and opened the driver's door.

"Since my sixteenth birthday," she said. "Of course, it took my dad and me more than two years to restore it."

"Is it all stock?"

"Climb on in," she told him.

Tyler climbed up onto the seat behind the steering wheel and gazed in admiration at the interior of the truck. Katie stood proudly beside him next to the open door.

"It is completely stock" she assured him. "From the bulbs in the turn signals to the Naugahyde used to upholster the seats. Well, the paint used on the body might not be the exact same chemical makeup as the original paint, but the sky-blue color is the same shade as the truck had when it rolled off the assembly line."

The crowd of people continued to grow around the truck as Tyler climbed out and Katie closed the door.

"I bet you'll do well in the judging today," Tyler told her. "The truck is in pristine condition and the judges are bound to give you points based upon the uniqueness of your entry."

Katie laughed softly and said, "I've never lost a show that I have entered. My biggest challenge is turning down all the offers to buy it, which is why I am very selective about where I do show it. Jay Leno came by earlier today and made another six-figure offer, even though I have turned him down at least five previous times."

Tyler heard her husky, yet musical laugh and knew that he had never heard another quite like it.

"I can understand that," he told her. "It probably holds a lot of sentimental value for you."

Katie's appreciation of Tyler's comment was interrupted by another voice.

"There you are!"

Tyler looked over Katie's shoulder to see Haley Simmons pushing herself through the crowd of people that continued to inspect the classic pickup truck. A small entourage of fans was still thrusting pieces of paper, car show programs or other items in her direction hoping to get an autograph. She finally reached Tyler and put her arm possessively around his waist before acknowledging Katie.

"Is this your truck? I heard several people talking about it. Is it true that Jay Leno wants to buy it?"

"Haley, I would like to introduce Katie Brandt. Katie, this is Haley Simmons. Katie may be my new landlord shortly," Tyler further explained.

He couldn't help but notice that Haley didn't present the same visual contrast that she normally did when next to another woman. Even with her perfectly styled hair and expertly applied make-up, she seemed significantly dimmer when in the presence of Katie Brandt, with her short, casual hair, her nerdy sunglasses, and her semi-masculine attire.

Haley merely nodded at Katie before turning her attention back to Tyler.

"Ty, the marketing director for Quiche Cosmetics is here at the show and wants to discuss an endorsement deal over drinks. Kristen is going to meet us at the bar in his hotel in an hour. I already have Gino bringing the car around for us, so we better head for the exit."

Tyler shook his head and said, "I really have no desire to sit in some hotel lobby for hours while you and your agent negotiate another deal. Have Gino drive you to the meeting and I'll make my own arrangements to get home."

Katie watched the lips on Haley's face turn to a forced pout and stepped away from the couple to focus on the crowd around her truck. She began answering a bevy of questions, most of which were repeats of ones asked seconds before by someone else that she had already answered. Answering redundant, repetitive and frequently ridiculous questions about her truck was another reason that she seldom endured car shows such as this.

However, she kept reminding herself that this event was benefitting a cause that she strongly believed in. Growing up near San Antonio where most military dogs were trained at Lackland Air Force Base, she had witnessed the heart-wrenching experience when a trained military dog was retired. Deemed too dangerous for adoption to the general public because of their specialized training, most of the dogs that were too old or trained in services incompatible for them to be retrained as a police K9 were typically euthanized. Retired police dogs often faced a similar fate unless they could be placed in a home prepared to deal with the unique training and personality that these dogs usually had.

Recently, a few organizations that trained service animals for people with certain physical challenges had been seeing great success with retraining retired police dogs. This event today was benefiting one of these organization's efforts, which is why Katie would stand in the hot sun and tolerate the questions being asked by the crowd for another - she checked the time - two hours.

"What time is the judging?"

Katie recognized his voice this time and turned to answer Tyler's question.

"The judges should have been walking around all day," she told him. "Their decision is due in about an hour. You're not going with your girlfriend to her meeting?"

Tyler shook his head and said, "Our families have known each other for years and we date occasionally, but Haley and I are not exclusive or anything. She can get by at the meeting with her agent Kristen and then home by herself just fine. I want to see more of the show and see some of the dogs being run through their training."

"I saw the Orange County Sheriff K9 team doing their demonstration earlier," Katie told him. "It was a hoot. Those officers obviously spend a lot of time with their dogs."

"Which reminds me of something that I wanted to ask you about the condo. Are pets allowed?"

Katie studied Tyler with a new interest, "Yes, as long as the pet meets the condo association restrictions. Why?"

"I may want to adopt a retiring police dog," Tyler told her. "Probably not today, but my agency occasionally offers one of the retiring dogs to an officer who is interested in adopting."

"Your agency?" Katie asked.

"I am a Special Agent with the California Department of Justice, Department of Law Enforcement" Tyler informed her.

Katie regarded him skeptically, "I've never heard of it."