Rocky Mountain Promise (Roberts of Silver Springs Book 5)

by Ciara Knight

  “Oh you got her all right, that’s what worries me.” He chuckled. “Mr. Scary in the corner right now, afraid of dust bunnies?”

  “Funny, it was Mega Fear Monster. And no, I don’t imagine them anymore. No need, I can handle life just fine.” The way her gaze drifted to the corner made him doubt her words, but he wasn’t about to argue about her crazy. He always liked her crazy.

  Ally opened door number three. “Oh, this one is more Ghost Time Tea Room than a bedroom.”

  “Told you it’d get worse as you made your way down the hall.”

  “I’m feeling a little Friday the 13thish right now,” She said. “Glad I’m not the ditzy teenager, of course you’d get it first.”

  “Me? Why me?”

  “’Cause the rich handsome guy is always the first to go.”

  “Right after the beautiful girl.” He elbowed her softly in her side.

  Ally flipped her hair over her shoulder in the way that used to get all the guys attention. What was it about the hair flipping? “Guess we’re both doomed.”

  “Nope. I’ll protect us.” Rex flexed his muscles like a gladiator.

  She externally laughed, but internally fought the warmth surging through her body. She shut the door and went to the next room. “Oh, that’s right. Big ex-marine security guy.”

  He tugged her hair like he did when they were ten and he tried to get her attention. “Hey, no attitude from you missy, or I’ll let one of your monsters get ya.”

  They both laughed, it felt good, right, easy. She opened the next door and shut it again without even stepping inside. The odor was horrible. “I call this one a loss for now.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.”

  “We’ll call this one the dump truck room.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Alley entered the master bedroom, the second to the last bedroom on the second floor. An old walker, bed pan, and other various assistive devices were left stacked in the corner. “Sad. I’m not sure why Frank didn’t tell us.” She put a hand over her mouth as if to keep the secret in.

  Rex’s stomach knotted. “What did my dad have to do with Mrs. Kelley?”

  “He would bring her things and check on her. That man’s been watching out for everyone in town since he sobered up.” She waved her hand as if to dismiss the anvil of information she’d dropped into the center of the room. “At least it’s not dusty or covered over like the rest of the rooms.”

  Rex decided to ignore the information, no sense in spoiling the mood. But could his dad really be sober?

  Ally continued on as if not to give him an opportunity to say more on this topic. “Mrs. Kelley would be horrified to see how much the place has suffered. She lived here, but with nursing care, and no family left around, so she was alone. She refused to leave here, not even after she became unable to care for herself. She said she was born in this house, and she’d die in this house. At least that’s what my parents told me. I didn’t know her like you did.”

  “Why didn’t she ever write to David and tell him how bad she was?”

  “From what I understand, she was concerned they’d put her in a home.” Ally leaned against the bed post. “I should’ve come to see her. What kind of town are we?”

  “One that’s busy and you said she had a nurse coming in to help her. You weren’t close to her like we were. If anyone’s to blame it’s her family and me. She had always been kind to me.” Rex exited the room, deciding the tour was over. “I know this might sound crazy, but I feel led to fix this place up, even if we’re just selling it. Not because David asked me to, but because Mrs. Kelley treated me like family more than my own mother and father did. It’s my way of giving something back to her, even though she’s gone.”

  Ally reached the top of the stairs next to him and took his hand to step over the board. “I remember you talking about her. Said she’d be the grandmother of the groom at our…”

  He held tight to her hand and wouldn’t let go, afraid he’d lose her again. “Our wedding. I know.”

  She slipped her hand from his and went to the parlor. “I’ll start in here. This coffee table will look great after a good cleaning and refinishing.” Alley went to the foyer, grabbed a bag and went to work.

  “You know, she would have milk and cookies in here for us when we would come over after school. They were so delicious and warm and loving.” Rex couldn’t help but wish he had been here for her. “You know, she always thought we belonged together. Of course, she thought David and Mel would get married and live in this house someday.”

  Ally paused her hand and looked up at him. “Why did David and Mel break up? When I left for Paris they were solid.”

  “She never told you?” Rex asked.

  “No. She would never speak about it, except she had to let him go. That they weren’t meant to be. What did David say?”

  “Same. Funny, we’d talk about anything and everything except you and Mel. It was forbidden conversation between us.”

  “Mel and I didn’t speak much about it either.” Ally returned to cleaning.

  Rex had planned on working on the rotting stair, but instead, he found himself working on the damaged plaster in the parlor. Something kept him in there, near Ally. The only problem was even in the one room, he couldn’t seem to get close enough to her. It had always been that way. “I have a roofer coming out tomorrow. And plumber on Thursday.”

  “Sounds good. It’ll help with resale. Although, I’m not sure what kind of market there is for small town mansions. Perhaps a business would want to use it. We’re near all the major tourist attractions. It would make an amazing storefront.”

  Rex ripped the damp insulation out of the wall and tossed it on the ground.

  “What is it?”

  “What’s what?”

  Ally stood and dusted off her pants. “You’ve got that look. The one where you want something different.”

  He took off his work gloves and sat on the ground eyeing the hand carved plasterwork near the chandelier. “It’s just that this is a home. It might be big and old, but it was the happiest home I ever knew. It’s a shame to lose that to some corporation.”

  Ally sat next to him and leaned against the wall. Her arm a hair’s width from him. He liked it, the closeness. He didn’t realize how much he’d missed it until now. “I understand. You had it rough growing up, but you did it. You always wanted to be better, to not be from the wrong side of the river. Now, from what I understand, you could buy the river.”

  “Who told you that?”

  Ally tucked her chin to her chest. “Um…I might have Binged you. I couldn’t sleep last night. Not after what Mel said.” She sucked in a quick breath, and he knew she’d over-shared.

  “Go ahead, spit it out. I’ll get it out of you one way or another.”

  She pressed her lips together and pretend locked it like they were eight.

  “You know better than to do that. If you don’t tell me, you know what’s gonna happen.”

  Ally held up her hands in defense, but she was no match for him.

  “Spill it, or the tickle monster will get it out of you.”

  She squealed, but didn’t confess, so he tickled her. After two screams and some room brightening laughter, she conceded. “Okay, okay. She said you were married.”

  He sat back letting her breathe for a minute.

  “It’s not fair. I can’t believe you remembered how ticklish I am.”

  “Forget? How can I? The first time I moved in for a kiss you laughed.”

  She smacked him in his shoulder. “Not my fault, you touched my belly.”

  Rex nudged his shoulder to hers. “You know what kind of complex you can give a guy if you laugh while he’s kissing you? I think you owe me some money for therapy bills.”

  “I owe you nothing. What about when you told Billy Boykin that I had rabies?”

  Rex burst out laughing. “And he believed me. A guy like that doesn’t deserve a girl like you. He was going to ask you t
o walk home with him. I couldn’t let that happen. I had my eyes on that job.”

  “Even in fifth grade?”

  Rex pushed from the ground and offered her his hand. She took it and stood in front of him. She was beautiful, still as breathtaking as she was the moment he first saw her on the first day of first grade. “Listen, let’s go grab some lunch. Whatcha want, pizza?”

  Ally’s smile faded, and he saw that light switch off. “Um, I can’t. I need to get to the shop. I’ll be back in a few hours.” She backed out of the room, knocking into a table that sent a vase tumbling. She caught it before it hit the ground and placed it back on the table. But before he could say another word, she ran out the door.

  Chapter Seven

  Mel rang up the last customer from the tour bus that had stopped in town. Ally kept her attention on her online store while Mel manned the brick and mortar one.

  She waved the last client out the door and then locked it behind her. “Three hours and twenty-seven minutes.”

  Ally glanced up at her. “Until what?”

  “Not until. It’s how long you’ve done nothing. That is three hours and twenty-six minutes longer than you’ve ever sat still before, Ms. Workaholic.”

  Mel had a point. “It’s hard to concentrate when there are so many unanswered questions.”

  She pulled out a chair and sat by Ally’s side. “Such as?”

  “Like why did my mom lie to us, keep us apart?”

  “Did you call her?”

  “No. I can’t figure out what to say, and she’s on some cruise ship so I can’t reach her anyway. And it’s not even just that. I mean, what did Rex do all these years? Do I really want to get close to him again? And what about you?”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, what happened between you and David?”

  Mel bit her bottom lip, the same way she did any time Ally asked her about it. “Did Rex tell you?”

  “Tell me what? He doesn’t even know.”

  “David didn’t tell him what happened?”

  “No, Rex said they never talked about either of us. David and he left and that was that. They never spoke about us again. It was forbidden conversation.”

  Mel’s gaze traveled to a distant place, a long time ago.

  Ally felt for her friend, she saw the pain swirl in her eyes. “You don’t have to tell me.”

  “Yes, it’s time I did. It’s time you know how big of a fool your best friend is.”

  Ally couldn’t imagine what Mel could’ve done that was that bad. “I promise nothing you say will make me think you’re a fool.”

  Mel inhaled a long, deep breath. “When you left for Paris I started to realize that I wanted more than getting married and living in a small town the rest of my life. You were talking about following Rex if he joined the Marines, and I felt like I’d be left behind. David started to catch on that I was acting differently. When he confronted me about it, I finally confessed I needed a break. That I couldn’t marry him and settle down yet. He said he understood and would wait for me.”

  Her voice cracked, and Ally longed to make her friend’s pain go away. “I didn’t know.” She rubbed Mel’s shoulder, trying to provide her some sort of comfort. “You had a right. It was a lifelong decision.”

  Mel dropped her head into her hands. “That’s not the worst of it. I went to Denver the weekend before you arrived back here. I accepted a date with a guy from the university. He was fun and exciting and new, and a total jerk. David went to the city the same weekend. He went to go look at the University. He was going to break his promise to Rex and stay in Colorado to be with me, but instead of signing up for college, he ran into me. On my date.”

  “Oh Mel, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “Because, I felt responsible for Rex leaving, too. He disappeared along with David, and I always thought I’d somehow caused Rex to go with David as a promise to him. I felt like I didn’t just drive my man away, but yours too.”

  “No. That’s not what happened. And if Rex left because of an obligation to a friend, we weren’t meant to be anyway. You should’ve told me the truth.”

  Mel swiped tears from her face. “I should have, but it feels good to get it off my chest now.”

  Ally retrieved tissues from the checkout counter and handed them to Mel. “Have you ever written to him, or called him?”

  Mel dabbed at her face. “No. I don’t deserve to have him back in my life. He should have anything and everything he wants. He’s one of the good ones. Too bad I didn’t know what I had then. I’d found my prince, then I left him to go kiss frogs.”

  “Yeah, you’ve always been a little backwards.” Ally bumped her hip into her shoulder. “I guess we both have a man curse.”

  “You don’t now. Rex is back. You can have everything you ever wanted.”

  That deep belly ache with a gurgle of anxiety revved up a few notches. “No. Don’t think so.”

  “Why not?”

  “I told you, he’s going to leave in a few weeks, then what?”

  “Follow him, hog tie him, kidnap him, do whatever it takes. I can tell you if David walked into this store right now, I’d throw myself at his feet and promise to love him forever.”

  “Dramatic much?” Ally teased, but knew she meant it. She could see it in Mel’s far off stare. The kind that took you thousands of miles to a sand pit, or eight years in the past.

  “Stop hiding behind your humor and go snag yourself the love of your life. I saw the way he looked at you. That man is still head over heels for you. I thought he’d sweep you up into his arms, carry you to the top of that ridge, and marry you that minute.” Mel pushed back the chair and retrieved her purse from behind the counter. “If you show up here again to avoid spending time with Rex, I’ll quit. I don’t care if I’m half-owner, I’ll walk out and then drag you up to that house and tie you to an 18th century Victorian chair, and then beat you with a silly stick until you give in and accept your fate.”

  Ally retrieved her own purse and tried to avoid her comment, but she knew Mel wouldn’t give up. “A silly stick?”

  “Yeah, look it up, it’s a rare antique.” Mel gave her best don’t-challenge-me face.

  Alley held up her hands. “All right, I’ll go to the house tomorrow and work all day instead of coming to the shop.” Mega Fear Monster entered the room.

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Give into that fear monster. I know you. Take that silly stick and smack it into submission so you can go get Rex back.”

  “Who watched too much Ally McBeal growing up?”

  “Ha, you know that’s what you were thinking. You get that left of eyebrow dance going on when one of the monsters are in the room.”

  “Fine. You know me well. But that’s the point. Rex doesn’t know my crazy anymore. He’s been to war, he’s changed. What if I’m not enough for him now?”

  Mel headed for the front door. “Can’t happen.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’ll send the Man Crusher after him.”

  Ally laughed, a deep belly, stress relief kind of laugh. It felt good to not be wound so tight. She’d forgotten what it was like to joke about boys and hang out instead of working all the time. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For sticking by my crazy side all these years.” Ally hugged her, the best friend who’d been struggling with life as much as she had these last few years. And she knew what she could do to change that. If she was going to spend time with Rex, then she was going to find out David’s status, and figure out how to tell him Mel’d never let go of her torch for him. She didn’t know if Rex would stick around, but perhaps she could bring David home to his grandmother’s house, and to Mel. That was a reason to spend time with Rex.

  Chapter Eight

  Rex finished at the hardware store and headed to the house with a truck full of wood, nails, and other supplies. It had been awhile since he’d done ho
me repair, but he’d manage. Whatever he couldn’t do, he’d outsource.

  He pulled up the long drive and spotted a man on the front porch. His father. With an anger that only his father could provoke sweltering in from his past, a past he would’ve just assumed forget, he shoved the car into park. But with the man on the porch in front of him, it would be hard to ignore him. He pulled some wood from the back of the truck and headed for the front door. He took it inside and dropped it, but his father didn’t follow him in, so he got another board and carried that in, then more equipment. By the time he walked up with the last load, he couldn’t take it anymore. “What do you want?”

  “To talk to my son,” he said with little emotion in his tone.

  “Been drinking again and now you want to talk about the good ol’ days. Newsflash, they weren’t so good for me.”

  “Told you, I’ve been sober five years now. I know it’s too late for us.”

  “Your right about that,” He snapped.

  The evening air smelled crisp and clean like the stream running down the side of a mountain, but the atmosphere between them felt thick and polluted. He dropped his tool belt to the floor and leaned against the porch support. “If you need to apologize do it and leave.”

  “Would it do any good if I did?”

  “Nope.” Rex crossed one foot over the other and tried to look as carefree and unaffected as possible, but his gut was doing a back alley run under gunfire.

  “Then we’ll skip that part.” His father shifted in the chair, but still showed no indication of his purpose.

  “I’m busy, spit it out or leave.”

  His father scanned the front lawn and looked out as if to reach a distant land. “I hope I’m doing the right thing here.”

  “Since when do you care about doing what’s right? Did you think it was right when you smacked mom around? Did you think it was right when you put me through the wall when I tried to defend her?”

  His father flinched. Good, he deserved to face his demons. “No,” he whispered. “That’s not why I’m here. I’m here to tell you what happened when you left eight years ago. I’m hoping you’ll understand and let go of all your anger and will move on with your life.”