Rocky Mountain Promise (Roberts of Silver Springs Book 5)

by Ciara Knight

  “No. Cleaning crews can damage antiques. I’ll take care of each piece. I can manage to get everything inventoried, cleaned, and moved in three weeks. Is that acceptable Mr. Snyder?”

  Great, she was back to that. “Yes, that’s fine. But—”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Seven too early?”

  “Seven’s fine.”

  Her heeled shoes clicked with each step as they faded into the distance. He watched her turn the corner at the end of the street and disappear. He fell back in the chair, his gut twisting and his head aching. For hours, he sat there trying to process all he’d learned.

  A ring from his computer drew his attention from him reliving those weeks so long ago. He retrieved his laptop and set it on his lap. Thank goodness no one had turned off the Wi-Fi in the house. He clicked on the video button and saw David in a distorted view.

  “Hey.” Rex said.

  David leaned into the camera. “What’s wrong with you? I’m the one still in the sandbox.”

  Rex crossed his ankle over his knee and balanced the laptop, tilting the screen so he could see better. “Why didn’t you warn me that Ally was the one I’d be working with?”

  David sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Because I knew you wouldn’t go.”

  “You don’t deny it, then?”

  “Nope. And if it’s getting you closure so you can stop spinning over a lost cause, then I’m happy I sent you,” David said with no remorse in his voice.

  “She thought I abandoned her.” Rex shot out the words as if they were too hot to hold in his mouth.

  David shook his head. “That don’t make no sense. You left her letters, called, and shouted from the ridge top.”

  “Even so. She never got my letters. Turns out she was headed back home. She said she wanted to get back to me, so she never got my messages from her roommates in Paris. By the time she got home, I was gone. Bad timing, I guess.”

  “What about the letters?”

  “Didn’t get them. Apparently, her mother betrayed us.” Rex gripped his thigh, trying to keep his anger in check. He’d already let it out earlier. No reason to uncage the monster he locked away when he left to join the military.

  “So instead of closure, you opening up that door again?” David asked.

  Rex rubbed his forehead, trying to make the answer appear from nowhere. “Don’t know. All I know is that she’ll be back tomorrow morning to work on your house. Speaking of your house. Did you know it’s run down? The inside needs a lot of work.”

  David’s image stuttered, making him look like an alien for a moment. “Can you still sell it?”

  “Not in this state, but I have a few weeks before I have to report to training. I’ll get to work on repairs while Ally works on the furniture.”

  “Sounds like a plan. You decide if you’re going to join the military ranks again, or get out for good?”

  “I’ve got a business to run, but honestly, yeah, I’m considering reupping.”

  “That business can run itself. Besides, didn’t you get offered a few mil to sell it?”

  Rex nodded. “Yeah, I’m undecided right now, though. That business is my life. Has been for the past four years, but I miss the order of the military. Life is simple there.”

  “Maybe you need a new life. Something less simple might be good for you.” David chuckled. “Listen. I appreciate you handling my grandmother’s place. There’s no one left in the family who wants it. Sad, but I can’t do anything with it from here. Just try to find a buyer who’ll take care of her. Lot’s of memories in that house.”

  “Copy that.” Rex missed his friend. They’d been through a lot together. “You sure you’re not ready to retire? You’ve put in your eight years.”

  “Nope, I’m a lifer. Did you hear that Chase Roberts is being sent home? He’s wounded.”

  Rex rubbed his shoulder where a piece of shrapnel had pierced his skin. He only had a small injury that only left behind a memory, unlike others who weren’t so lucky. “How bad?”

  David scratched his forehead and leaned closer. “Don’t know. I hear he’s in a hospital in Europe right now.”

  Rex’s gut clenched tight, tighter than a soldier’s hand on a grenade.

  David looked to the side then back at the screen. “Sorry man, times up. I’ve got to report back in thirty. Day pass expires then. Keep me posted. And, Rex. Take a chance. You deserve some happiness. You always wanted to go back rich and prove yourself. Well, now you can.” “Oorah.” David added then disconnected, leaving Rex with nothing to do but think about the possibility of Ally Roberts. The only woman he’d ever loved.

  Chapter Five

  Ally opened an old file she had stored in her drive titled RS. She browsed the over two hundred pictures of a younger version of Rex by her side. Pictures of hiking, kayaking, enjoying the hot springs, eating dinner, school dances, and more.

  Mel entered the kitchen so Ally flipped back to her spreadsheets. Mel nudged the screen until it was low enough for them to see eye to eye. “I’ve never seen you work so little before.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve not moved, added, or subtracted anything in an hour. I think it’s time we talked.” Mel sat across from her at their kitchen table.

  Ally rubbed the back of her neck, temporarily relieving some of the soreness from sitting all day looking down at her computer. “We’ve talked enough.”

  “Tell me what happened again.” Mel leaned on her elbows locking gazes so Ally couldn’t escape.

  She sighed and closed the laptop lid, admitting defeat. “I went to Paris because my parents made a deal with me. If I did the program and came back, they promised that they’d pay for Rex and I to both go to college in Denver. I came home early because I decided Rex and I would make it on our own instead of having my parents control our lives. I’d be a military wife and get my degree wherever he was stationed. When I got here, Rex was gone with no word. But it turns out he did leave word. Two letters, one left for me at home, another sent to Paris, and two phone calls. None of which I received. Oh, and my mother betrayed me.”

  “So, this isn’t Rex’s fault, and it isn’t your fault.” Mel grabbed her hand and held tight. “Don’t you see? This is a gift. A second chance.”

  “No, it’s not. We have different lives now. He doesn’t live here. He’s going to be gone in a few weeks. Besides, I don’t even know him anymore. He moved away. He joined the Marines. He can’t be the same person I knew.”

  “Then get to know him. Start over. Take these few weeks and see how you feel about him.”

  “And what then?”

  “Then you figure things out. Listen, all I know is this is an opportunity for you to move forward. It’s time for you to stop holding on to the past. Either you figure out you still love each other, or you decide to let each other go. Either way, it’s better than where you’re at now.”

  Ally opened her laptop again and eyed the photos. “What if I discover that I still feel for him, but he’s moved on?”

  Mel smiled, her best I’ll-be-here-for-you smile. “Then you’ll know.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “I’m always right.” Mel laughed and cleared the table from their mega dessert fest. The friendship remedy for broken hearts everywhere. “Do you want me to stay up all night watching bad movies?”

  Ally thought about it. It had been years since they watched scary movies and ate popcorn until the early morning hours. But she knew she wouldn’t be good company. “No. I’m fine. Get some sleep. I need you at the shop early tomorrow.”

  “Early? How early?”

  “Opening.”

  “I don’t do openings. I don’t wake up before noon.”

  “Hey, you wanted me to go see how I feel about Rex, here’s your chance. I’m going to be at the Kelley mansion at 7:00AM. If I have to open the shop, I’ll only get two hours with him. Not to mention the major work that needs to happen if I’m going to get
the antiques cleaned and refurbished.”

  “Fine, just do me a favor.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Next time I want to help you with your love life, tell me not to.” Mel placed the dishes in the sink. “I was gonna do these, but if you want me in at 8:00AM I better go get some sleep.”

  “You mean 7:00AM.” Ally closed her laptop and held it to her chest. “And no worries, I got those.”

  Mel left the kitchen, but shouted from her bedroom door. “One more thing.”

  “What’s that?” Ally shouted over the running water she’d just turned on.

  “Better make sure he’s not married already.”

  She dropped one dish with a crash. It broke in half, like her heart. That one statement haunted her through the dishes, through late-night television, through tossing and turning in the night, and through her morning run. Images of him married to a gorgeous, successful woman with two kids and a dog kept invading her mind. It still haunted her when she walked up those front steps to the Kelley mansion the next morning. She thought she’d blurt out her question the second she saw him, but it was stupid. She’d let Mel get in her head. “Hello? Anyone here?”

  Only silence answered her. She went inside and looked in the parlor, dining room, kitchen, but all she found was a dead mouse, dead bugs, and more filth. She pushed open the ripped screened door and found Rex at a bistro table. “Hey.”

  He turned and that’s when she saw the breakfast, coffee, and a flower in a vase. “I thought you’d be hungry after your morning run. We can eat, and then we can get started. This table was easier to scrub with soap and the hose, and the weather is beautiful, so I hope this is okay.”

  He babbled. Since when did Rex Snyder babble? “Thanks. I could use some coffee.”

  She sat across from him, Mrs. Awkward joined them. She sat at her right with a big sign up saying ‘Ask him if he’s married.’ She wanted to sucker punch Mrs. Awkward, but Great Green Jealous backed her up at the thought of him loving any other woman. And just then Mrs. Awkward flipped her sign around to the back where it said, ‘Do you have any kids?’ She felt like a newborn with the treat of reflux at the thought of him with someone else.

  Rex poured the coffee into paper cups, and she nibbled on the scones he placed on her plastic plate. “You still like Sprinkles? I thought about these often in the Marines.”

  “It’s good. Thanks.”

  He handed her a napkin, and then took a bite himself. “Oh, that’s amazing. I guess it’s not a novelty for you right now, though.”

  She shrugged. “Still good.”

  “I hope this is okay. We both need some sustenance before we tackle that project.” He tilted his head toward the back door.

  “Yes, thank you. It’s good.”

  “You said that already.”

  She let out a big breath. “I guess I did.”

  “Go ahead.”

  She quirked a brow at him. “Go ahead with what?”

  “Go ahead and say what’s on your mind. You only get this quiet, and repeat yourself this much, when you’re waiting to say something you don’t know if you should say.”

  Mrs. Awkward fell out of the chair face first and was kicked by Mr. Embarrassed. He blew a big, warm, kiss on her cheek, and she fought the blush, but lost.

  “Go ahead.” Rex picked up his coffee and took a sip.

  “Are you married? Or have you ever been married? Do you have kids? A dog?”

  He coughed, his face turned red before he managed to stop. He set his cup down. “No. Never been married.”

  She kicked Mr. Embarrassed under the table and directed her attention to her donut. Mrs. Awkward decided to rejoin them, but Jealous left to go smell the garden flowers. “Kids?”

  “None.”

  She fought a huge sigh of relief wanting to explode from her lips.

  “And no dog.” Several minutes and half a donut later, Rex cleared his throat. “You?”

  “Me, what?” Ally asked.

  “You married? Fiancé, boyfriend? Kids…?”

  “No.” She answered way too quickly. She bit her lip then added. “Not that I couldn’t be. I’ve just been too busy trying to start up a company. Although Bri managed despite starting the B&B.”

  “What about Mike? I haven’t heard you mention your sister. Is she in town? I thought the twins were inseparable growing up, but I’ve only seen Spike?”

  “She’s been trying to figure things out. An injury has put her pro skiing career on hold. I’m hoping she’ll come visit soon.”

  “I’m sorry.” Rex cleared his throat.

  “What about you?” Ally asked. “What has life been like for you since you got out of the Marines?”

  “When I started my security firm in the states, it took a lot of work.” He huffed. “And retraining. I expected my clients to behave like soldiers at first. I quickly realized that civilians can be more dangerous than militia.”

  Ally picked at the glaze left behind on her plate. “You miss the military?”

  “Yes, and no. I was ready to get out, but sometimes I miss it. Unlike David who’s a career man, I wanted to serve my country, gain some opportunities, and then move on and figure out how to make a living. I’ve kind of gotten used to the nice weather, treats like these and no bullets flying at me.”

  “I can see why that would be appealing.” Ally felt like she was in a Forced Conversation 101 class, but perhaps by the end of the day they could move into Conversational Life 201.

  “Guess we should get started if you need to leave in a few weeks. As you said, lots to get done.”

  He stuffed the paper products into a bag. “Just after one more question.”

  “What’s that?”

  She stood, and he moved to her side, into her space. He touched her elbow and energy coursed through her body as if he was a mildly electrified fence. His teddy bear brown eyes searched her gaze, and she held her breath, preparing for whatever deep, emotional question he was about to ask her.

  “You sure you don’t want a dump truck instead of a cleaning rag?” He quirked a grin, the same one that once snagged her, along with his charm, good looks, and promises of forever. But they didn’t have forever, they had three weeks. Long enough to discover if she still had feelings for him, but short enough for him to take them and leave again.

  Chapter Six

  Rex guided Ally up to the second floor, pausing at the third to the top step. “Here, this board isn’t safe.” He held out his hand to help her, and she took it. The warmth of her skin against his made him off kilter, but he managed to stumble up the last few steps.

  “You sure you don’t need my help?” She asked.

  It was good to hear her tease. To lighten up and stop looking so serious. Her smile had always been able to light up the entire town.

  He opened the first room, and touched her low back to nudge her inside. She shivered under his hand. Did he startle her? Did she react to his touch the way he reacted to their contact? Did she feel that connection between them?

  She took one step into the wreck of a room and stopped. “You still able to get that dump truck? You trying to scare me off with the worst room first?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, sore from the night on the lumpy master bed. “Actually, this is the best room. At least the furniture had been covered. Look.” He lifted the corner of a grey sheet to find fabric without too much grime.

  “Okay, I can work with that, but is the worst one some hidden dungeon under the house? If so, I’m out.”

  “Nope, the worst is at the other end of the hall. And her bedroom has a lot of junk we’ll need to get rid of.”

  “We’ll call this the Furniture Graveyard room on account of all the covered furniture. Let’s keep going.”

  He stepped aside to let her out then shut the door. “You in a hurry to be somewhere?”

  “No, but we have a lot of work.”

  He cracked the next door. “If I need to stay a little longer, I
can. My business will survive. Besides, I can work at night remotely.” No he couldn’t, he had to report to summer camp. His final days as a reserve Marine. What was he saying?

  “You can protect people from a computer?”

  He laughed. “Believe it or not, a lot of what I do is done remotely. Monitoring, and setting up security systems, but I have a staff now for personal security. I’ll still take on certain customers myself, but the rest I delegate to my staff to cover.”

  He pushed the door open the rest of the way and they walked into the room. A four-poster bed with curtains that looked like mutant moths had feasted on them, two chairs, some sort of table with a mirror. “This was once the room I slept in. David and I would stay here and pretend we were ghost hunters when we were boys. I still swear I saw one once. Of course, I think David rigged some sort of device to make a shadow cross the room. Now, with the state the house is in, it wouldn’t surprise me to see one.”

  “You two were inseparable growing up.”

  “Just like you and Mel were. I guess it makes sense we all ended up hanging out together in high school.”

  Ally ripped open the curtains, sending a storm of dust into the room. She sneezed three times in her petite way. It was always three. “Geesh, dust monster hit this hard.”

  “Bless you, three times.” He winked. The mountain ridge was visible over the town. He’d always liked the view from this room. “You know. If I owned this house, I would make this the master. It has its own bathroom, and the view is so much better. So how ‘bout we call this Master.”

  “I haven’t seen the master, but this is a nice view.” She tapped her lip with her finger. “I think this one is the Dirt Demon room.”

  He laughed and leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over her chest. “You still see those monsters? I swear, if I could turn back time, I’d tell your parents not to let you watch that Ally McBeal show with the dancing baby.”

  “Hey, it was more than just dancing babies.” She shook her head and walked back out of the room. “Besides, I think that show was brilliant. I got her.”