“Yeah, I used to like him too. But we broke up a year ago, remember?”
“Sweetie,” Gramps said. “I’m going to tell you something important, and I want you to listen, okay?”
“Okay,” I said. I snuggled down into the coat so that Kevin couldn’t see me if he was spying at the window.
“Have you ever seen salmon spawn?”
“Pardon?”
“You know, salmon swimming upstream to spawn. Have you seen it?”
“Yeah, on a nature program or something.” Where was this going? I was sitting in the car with the heat turned up full blast and I was in no hurry to go back inside and face Kevin. I could afford to be indulgent.
“Salmon go through so much,” Gramps went on. “They’re so focused on their task that they forget to eat so they get smashed into rocks and eaten by bears. They use every last bit of their energy jumping and swimming against the current and the other fish. But the ones who keep pushing themselves get the reward. And you know what happens?”
“Tell me.” I could picture Gramps on the other end and I wished we were having this conversation in person so I could see the sparkle in his eyes.
“They make it to the spawning grounds, where they can finally lay their eggs and rest and be happy.”
I frowned. “I think I remember hearing that once they spawn, most of them die.”
“Bah, never mind that. Animals are smart. Lots of them mate for life—did you know that? Like swans… and termites.”
His metaphors were all over the place, but I think I finally understood his end game. “They stay together like you and Grandma, right?”
“Exactly! You know how when you look at some people, you just know they belong together?”
I blinked away the tears that were suddenly forming. The last thing I needed was to go back inside and face Kevin with puffy eyes. “Yes, you and Grandma were the perfect couple.”
“I was talking about you and Kevin. You kids were made for each other. You need to give it another chance.”
“Kevin broke up with me, Gramps. It wasn’t my choice.”
“Maybe not entirely. But it takes two to tango, you know.”
“Unfortunately we’re not all as lucky as you two. Not everyone rides off into the sunset together.”
“It takes hard work, but it’s worth it. Besides, it’s only one weekend. What have you got to lose?”
No one could say my stubborn streak wasn’t genetic. “You’re impossible. How did you know I was coming up this weekend?”
“I didn’t. Last time I saw Kevin, I told him he was welcome to come stay whenever he wanted to. And now you’re there too. You know what they call that?”
“What?” I massaged my temples with my fingers.
“Fate.”
Chapter Three
I hung up and closed my eyes. The Kevin smell on the jacket wasn’t going away; if anything, it seemed to have intensified since putting it on, and the effect on my emotions was unnerving. The scent made me think of winter outings together in happier times.
The jacket should have come with a warning label stating that it may cause confusion or mental fogginess or, in the worse cases, temporary insanity, which was what I had to be experiencing if I had any fond memories of Kevin left in the old brain depository. But then, that’s what you get when you rely on your nose to make important decisions.
Good thing my brain was still semi-functioning. I couldn’t sit out here in the car with the heater running forever. It was time to quickly consider my options.
The generous thing to do would be to go home and let Kevin stay. He got here first, and all his stuff was already inside.
But I wasn’t feeling particularly generous. This was my grandfather’s cabin—mine. I had been planning this weekend of relaxation, and I needed it. Kevin had absolutely no right to be here. He should go.
Unless…
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the ridiculous idea that was sprouting before it managed to take root. Gramps was crazy. This wasn’t a chick flick, complete with cheesy music that rose when the couple stood perilously near each other. This was real life, and Kevin didn’t want to spend the weekend with me any more than I wanted to hang out with him.
Unless…
Why would he come here if he didn’t want to see you? He must have known there was a chance you’d be here.
No. Double triple no. I had been down this dangerous road before, and nothing good could come by revisiting it. One of us would stay and one would go—it was that simple.
* * *
I took a deep breath and went back inside the cabin, prepared to be the bigger person and leave. Kevin didn’t hear me come in; his back was to me. I tried to ignore the taut muscles that told me he obviously hadn’t been mourning our lost relationship on the couch with bag of potato chips. I watched as he put some things in the refrigerator—milk, bacon, eggs, bread, butter. Real food. Aside from hot chocolate and lemonade, I realized I had brought nothing to eat. I think there was a squashed protein bar in my purse somewhere. My lack of planning was really pathetic. I should go and let Kevin stay—at least he wouldn’t starve. But the way he was stocking the fridge made me angry, like he didn’t even plan on offering to be the one who went home, when the cabin was much more mine than it was his.
“What did Gramps have to say?” he said, and I jumped. He didn’t turn around, but somehow he knew I was there.
“You already know what he said.”
“He told me I might be surprised by how much I enjoyed it up here. ‘You see some surprising things in the country,’ he said. I thought maybe he meant a moose or something.” He shut the refrigerator and finally turned around, the smile on his face fading when he saw how annoyed I was. “I had no idea you’d be here. I wouldn’t spoil your weekend on purpose.”
The look he gave me said that he was telling the truth, and for a split second, I imagined that maybe I wasn’t the only one who’d been miserable for the last year. But as he was the one who’d broken my heart, he wasn’t entitled to be unhappy, so I wouldn’t pity him. Still, it was a nice thing to hear him say, and knowing that he actually meant it helped.
“I believe you. Well, I hope you have a nice weekend.” I forced myself to turn and start walking to the door before I changed my mind.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“Home. I can relax and hide there as easily as I can here.”
He looked curious. “Who are you hiding from?”
“Everyone. I need time to regroup.” Stop talking, Rose. He doesn’t care anymore.
“That doesn’t sound like the world breaker I remember.”
I shrugged, unwilling to pursue the topic.
“If anyone is going, it should be me. Give me a few minutes to gather up my stuff, and I’ll get out of your way.”
Now that he’d actually said what I’d been thinking, I felt guilty. “It’s okay—you were here first. I’ll go.”
A small smile touched the corners of his mouth. “You know, there are two bedrooms…”
Oh, that mouth. I had the sudden image of us running into each other’s arms and kissing for the rest of the weekend. Maybe there was a reason I hadn’t brought any food. Who needs bacon and eggs when there was all that lost lip time to make up for?
Rose! Focus! Do not let your powers of reasoning be overtaken by a pretty face.
I noticed that Kevin’s smile had widened considerably. I could tell he was pleased to see that he still had the same power to reduce me to speechlessness. Well, I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he made me weak in the knees, even if he did. I pursed my lips.
“I think that’s a terrible idea. In fact, as really bad ideas go, that has to be at the top of the… Really Bad Idea list.”
“I’d forgotten how you ramble when you were nervous. It’s cute.”
Crap. This wasn’t going the way I intended. I wanted to come off as the Ice Queen, but instead I was spouting nonsense.
It was probably best to leave now, before I said anything really embarrassing. “I’ll go.”
“I can be an adult if you can.” He was still sporting that smug grin. Perhaps I could do something about that.
“So you’ve developed a new skill since we parted ways?”
He winced. “Ouch. You know what? You’re right. It’s a bad idea. I’m sure arguing with me wasn’t your idea of a relaxing weekend. I’ll go get my stuff.”
“No, you’re right,” I said. “There’s plenty of room for two adults here. If we play our cards right, we’ll never even see each other.” Determined to have the last word, I walked into the bedroom I usually stayed in, only to be confronted by Kevin’s duffle bag, fishing rods, and tackle sitting on the bed. His stuff in my room was so incongruous with the picture in my head that my brain disconnected for a minute. When I finally composed myself, I turned around to leave and ran straight into Kevin, who was suddenly installed in the doorway, roadblock style. When I realized a collision was imminent, I put my hands in front of me to keep myself from running him down, but that had the unintended side effect of physical contact. It took me longer than it should have to remove my hands from his chest, and by then he was all smiles again.
“This must be your room,” he said, in the buttery tone that made my head all foggy.
“It’s not my cabin. I don’t have a room.”
“I’ll take the other one. I don’t mind.”
“You’re already in here. It’s fine. I’ll go get my stuff out of the car.”
Kevin moved to let me pass, but I went the same direction he did, so we spent the next three minutes trying to negotiate a path. It was probably only fifteen seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. Finally I had the sense to stand still until he picked a direction. I hurried past, eager to put some distance between us.
“Let me help you bring your bags in.”
I tried not to laugh as I pictured my purse and small travel bag with room for little more than a toothbrush, which were waiting for me in the car. “No, I got it. I travel light.”
“Since when? I seem to remember you made Girl Scouts look unorganized.”
I gave him my sweetest smile over my shoulder. “I’m evolving.”
He returned my smile. I tried to ignore the way my heart instantly picked up its pace. “Just trying to be a gentleman.”
If he tried any harder, I’d fall for him all over again, and that simply wouldn’t do. I couldn’t let him know I was even a tiny bit interested. “Good for you. Trying is a definite improvement, and I should know. Looks like you’re evolving too.”
As I walked to the car, I prided myself on recovering the upper hand while attempting to ignore the little voice saying that just because you can have the last word doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
Chapter Four
When I came back inside, Kevin was nowhere in sight, for which I was grateful. The door to his bedroom was closed. He was probably in there pouting. I went to the unoccupied bedroom and put my meager luggage on the bed before flopping down next to it. This was a disaster.
I really should have left before things got any worse. The momentary high from outwitting Kevin had already faded into something that felt remarkably like guilt. What I said earlier was true—when we were dating, he had the annoying habit of always thinking he knew what was best for me. But he’d never been anything but a gentleman, and I felt bad for implying otherwise.
Still, no matter how guilty I felt, I couldn’t go to him and say I was sorry. Because then he’d give me that easy smile of his and say he’d never been bothered by it in the first place, and I’d end up flustered and lose any semblance of control I now felt over the situation. No, I had to cling tightly to the slight advantage I’d gained; better to be the Ice Queen than end up feeling like an idiot. The irony that I was acting more childish than Kevin wasn’t lost on me.
I let myself sink back into the mattress, curling up on my side and pulling my feet under me. The quilt smelled a little musty, but it was pleasant. The scent reminded me of the time I came to stay here as a little girl and the cabin had been shut up for too long without fresh air or people in it. This was a much less confusing smell than that of Kevin’s jacket, which I’d abandoned on the couch when I came back inside. Confusing or not, I still found myself wishing I was still wearing the jacket. Now that I was alone, drowning in the memories associated with the cologne didn’t seem like such a bad way to spend an afternoon …
A knock on the bedroom door shook me out of my daydream. I sat up quickly. “Yeah?”
Kevin’s head poked through the door. “I’m going fishing. Want to go?”
“Nah, I think I’ll stay here and hang out.”
“Come on, you love fishing!” He walked into the kitchen, and I followed him. He knew if he walked away, I would follow. I’d follow him anywhere; I always had—until the last time, when he had walked away for good. Even then I had a feeling he wanted me to go after him, but he hadn’t seemed surprised when I let him go. We’d both had enough.
What to do now? I did love fishing, but I could think of multiple reasons why this excursion wouldn’t be smart. For one thing, it was really cold outside, and it was only going to get colder as the afternoon wore on. When Kevin realized this t-shirt was the warmest clothing I brought, he would tease me mercilessly. I didn’t need anyone to tell me it was silly—I mean, I could see the snow on the mountains with my own eyes. But my associations with the cabin were sunscreen and swimsuits. I couldn’t help that my dominant logical side had been momentarily overridden by nostalgia. I think I’d expected to arrive to find my corner of the woods stuck in perpetual July.
Then there was the idea of having to make small talk for hours on end. It was one thing managing to dredge up a few words when I passed Kevin in the hall, but standing next to each other fishing with nothing to say for a whole afternoon was quite another. No, as much fun as fishing would be, staying in the cabin would be much safer.
“I wish I could go, but I can’t.”
“Why?” He looked genuinely puzzled.
“Because my shoulder is screwed up.” A health issue—that’s brilliant, Rose! Can’t argue with that.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I can’t lift anything or make any repetitive motions.”
True confession time: I am a really good liar. It’s a gift. I don’t like to make a habit of it, but when necessary I can look anyone in the eye and instantly come up with a story that would pass a lie detector with flying colors.
There was one exception to this rule, and unfortunately, he happened to be standing in front of me. However, now that we weren’t a couple anymore—without all those messy emotions tied into it—I was confident I’d be able to pull this one off.
“Says who?” He raised one eyebrow, but I was determined not to let that old trick rattle me.
“I have a note from my doctor.”
“You brought it with you?” he said, and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. “Who were you planning on showing it to? The squirrels?”
Okay, so maybe there was still one emotion I was going to have to get around: annoyance. I gave him the frostiest look I could manage. “I didn’t bring it with me. It just happens to be in my purse.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “All right, let’s see it.”
“What?”
“Let’s see your doctor’s note.”
Was he seriously calling my bluff? Anyone else would have bought the story. When people claim to have health problems, who demands proof? “I’m not going to show you my doctor’s note,” I huffed.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s silly.”
“You don’t have one, do you? You made it up.”
“Of course I have it. Why would anyone make up something like that?”
“Because you needed an excuse not to spend time with me. What if I had suggested that we play cards? Would you also have a doctor’s note saying you�
��ve developed a rare gambling allergy?” Although he was having way too much fun with this, his eyes looked sad.
“Whatever. I really am hurt, okay?”
“Then get your note. I want to see it.”
“You want to see the note? Fine. I’ll get the note.” I stomped off in the direction of my bedroom with a sick feeling in my stomach. Great. Now what was I supposed to do? I felt like an airplane going down with both engines on fire and no parachutes. I said a silent prayer that somehow there would be a doctor with a prescription pad waiting in my room.
There wasn’t.
I briefly considered climbing out the window and heading for someplace where no one knew me and my penchant for making up stories, someplace I could start over.
Maybe Prague…
Probably not. No, there was nothing to be done but face the music. Unless I could come up with a better story…
I took my purse into the living room and started rifling through it, trying to buy myself time while I concocted Plan B. Kevin stood with his back against the wall, waiting, arms folded, smirking like a guy in an underwear ad who knows exactly how charming and good looking he is.
The worst part is he knows you know it.
I made a big show of going through all the pockets, searching my wallet, flipping through my appointment book, all the while knowing that what I was looking for didn’t exist. And Plan B wasn’t happening; I couldn’t concentrate. My heart pounded in my ears, and I could feel my face getting hot. It appeared that lying to Kevin was still out of my depth, relationship or not. I felt like a lunatic, but I’d taken this whole charade way too far to back out now. I was going to have to go through the motions until the bitter end, which, by my calculations, was right about… now.
I snuck a look at Kevin, only to discover that his smirk had gotten … smirkier. I dropped my purse on the couch. “I can’t find it.”
“Hmmm. Could that be because it never existed in the first place?”
“It must have fallen out of my purse when I stopped for gas on my way up here. Now I’ll have to take a day off work and go to the doctor to get a new one.”
A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology) Page 23