The Rebel

by Jennifer Bernard

  “I’ll keep that in mind. My very, extremely, entirely open mind…that never thought I’d see the day a spa came to Rocky Peak,” he ended in a mutter.

  She grinned. “Save the freakout for tomorrow. You promised.”

  “I did. Carry on. What’s next, aromatherapy?”

  “Now that you mention it…”

  It was almost shocking how much she enjoyed his company. Now that he’d dropped his automatic suspicion of her, his attitude was completely different. He thoughtfully held branches away from her face as they walked. He listened carefully to what she said, and asked questions that proved he was paying attention.

  Don’t let a sexy man distract you, she kept telling herself. Just because he’s hot and smart and interesting doesn’t mean he’s on your side.

  They stopped for a quick picnic lunch near a waterfall on the property, one of her favorite spots. “It’s probably out of the question, but I’d love to put a gazebo out here,” she told him. “A meditation gazebo, a no-talking zone where you have to maintain silence.”

  “Is that some kind of hint?” he joked as he pulled sandwiches from the rucksack he’d brought. “You can meditate, I’ll stick with my salami on rye. Besides, I have more questions for you. There’s so much we haven’t covered. Like what’s better, mayo or mustard? Rye or sourdough? Chips or pickle?”

  So much for silence—they talked all through lunch about everything from favorite books and movies to random pet peeves—they both hated goofy cell phone ringtones. She told him a few crazy stories about life with Birdie and he talked about his childhood running wild at the lodge with Griffin, the twins and little Gracie.

  And then, when she was at her most relaxed, he snuck in a question that took her completely off guard.

  “So this engagement you mentioned, the one that ended. I’ve been wondering. What’d the guy do wrong?”

  She nearly choked on her last bite of roast beef sandwich. “Why do you assume it was his fault?”

  “Well, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, of course, but—” They both laughed, but that didn’t distract him. He kept his gaze fixed on her, waiting for her answer. His expression was friendly, his smile warm. She wanted to share something with him, something real and personal. And that was…possibly dangerous.

  She tucked her hands in the pockets of her down vest, digging her fingernails into her palms to remind herself not to reveal too much. “We disagreed about where to live,” she finally said.

  “That’s it? Sounds like a real love match.”

  “Do those even exist anymore?”

  “You have a point there.” He gave her a wry smile. “Just look at us Rockwells. Not a single one of the next generation has gotten married and spawned.”

  “You’re still young.”

  “I’m thirty-two. Seems like I would have felt the urge before now if it was going to happen.”

  “Maybe. Not necessarily. I wasn’t thinking about marriage when I met Roger.” She pressed her lips together as soon as the name slipped out. She hadn’t intended to reveal that much, but she really wasn’t very good at keeping secrets.

  Maybe it didn’t matter. This was just a friendly conversation, no need to be so paranoid.

  He didn’t seem to notice. “So what changed your mind about the M word?”

  “I was getting my home health aide certification. It was taking me a while to finish because I had other commitments.” Commitments named Birdie. “I met Roger when I fell asleep studying at a coffee shop near his office. Someone tried to steal my wallet while I slept and he stopped them, then woke me up. He was very sweet and worried about me. He asked for my number so he could check up on me. And that was it. I guess it felt nice to be the damsel in distress.”

  “I take it back. That is a very romantic story.”

  Of course, she’d left out a few details. Roger had told his driver to take her home, but she didn’t have a home at that point. All her money went to pay for Birdie’s housing and care. She’d missed too many rent payments and gotten evicted, so she was temporarily crashing with a friend until she found another place. Roger had offered her the guesthouse on his Queen Anne property. Then he’d shown up one night at her door, with a bag of Chinese food, and things had proceeded from there.

  None of which she was going to tell Kai.

  “Personally, I like your parents’ version of romance better,” she told him. “Married for decades, five kids, creating this amazing place to share with the world…” She swept her hand in a circle to indicate the lodge, the view, the wilderness. At the end of her motion, her hand brushed against his side. Even through his thick wool sweater, she felt the hard contours of his muscles.

  She snatched her hand away.

  “Sorry,” she murmured. “Didn’t mean to attack you with my high opinion of your parents.”

  “Hey, I appreciate it.” Reaching out, he captured her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers for a brief moment, then released them. “But not everything is how it seems.”

  His cryptic comment barely registered as a swarm of butterflies invaded her stomach. It was such a simple gesture, that short hand-hold, but it sent a spear of pure desire through her.

  She cast around for a distraction. “Has Max ever dated anyone since then?”

  “You’re asking the wrong guy.” Kai shot her an ironic look. “I haven’t been here, as you pointed out to me.”

  Cheeks heating, she laughed. “Sorry about that. I swear I’m usually only confrontational when…” when she had to be, for Birdie’s sake, “on special occasions,” she finished.

  “I’ll consider it a badge of honor, then.” He popped a wild strawberry in his mouth and lay back, hands cupped behind his head. His eyes closed as he savored the berry. She noticed the molding of his cheekbones, the scar near his mouth, the dark grain of scruff covering his stubborn chin. He was one intensely attractive man.

  She asked the question that had been nagging at her ever since he came back. “Why did you stay away for so long, Kai? I know Max can be a handful, but this place…it’s so beautiful.” She looked out at the wisps of mist still lurking in the deepest part of the valley, the thick stands of evergreen, the smooth slopes of the ridge. As always, it took her breath away.

  Her question seemed to catch him off guard. He sat up, frowning at the view and propped himself on his elbows. “I had reasons.”

  Reasons he didn’t want to talk about, obviously. Fine—it wasn’t really her business.

  Except that maybe it was. Felicity would say that it was. She’d say, ‘learn whatever you can. Maybe it will come in handy.’ Be a spy.

  “Did you miss it here when you were gone?”

  His jaw flexed. “Yeah,” he said curtly, then fell silent.

  He’d probably decided not to trust her, which was smart. If he had any clue about her secret mission here, he’d never trust her again.

  But then he continued. “I left because Max and I had a bad fight. That happened all the time—basically I went through every day looking for a fight back then. At school, at home, wherever I could find it. But this one was different.”

  “What was it about?” she asked softly.

  He was silent for a long time, his jaw working. “It had to do with my mom and the accident.”

  She held herself very still, torn between wanting to know more and hoping he’d keep his secrets to himself so she wouldn’t have to report anything to Felicity.

  “Anyway, that’s all in the past. Max and I get along just fine now. Probably because we keep it simple. We avoid all topics that might get us fired up.” He gave her that devastating one-sided smile, the one that always snuck behind her defenses.

  And right into her heart, if she didn’t watch out.

  “Well, I’m glad. He’s been great to me, very kind and welcoming. And I can tell he’s happy you’re back, even though he never says things like that straight out. You have to read between the grumbles.”

  He lifted one ey
ebrow at her. “Is this your Max-Whispering skill in action?”

  Something about his tone of voice rubbed her wrong. “I never said I was the Max-Whisperer. That came from Gracie. I’m just a nurse aide doing her job.”

  He gave a short nod. She got the impression that he wanted to say more, but was holding himself back. “Doing it well, too.”

  And for the first time that day, an awkward silence fell between them.

  Finally, with a powerful movement, he got to his feet. “Should we head back? It’s getting close to dinnertime. You probably want to walk me through all the ways you want to change the menu. And just so you know, right from the start, the venison chili is going nowhere. I will put my foot down if you try to put tofu in it instead.”

  So they were back to joking around. Good. “Don’t think in terms of replacing,” she said lightly. “Think in terms of adding. Would it kill you guys to have fish on the menu, for instance?”

  He hoisted his rucksack onto his back. “Around here all we catch is the occasional trout. But you’re welcome to try.”

  “Hey, I only suggested fish because you were about to throw a tantrum over tofu. But we can stick with the tofu if you insist.”

  “Sneaky, lady. I’ll see your tofu chili and raise you a wild turkey burger. Now that I can probably live with.”

  “Wild turkeys? Is there a BB gun involved?”

  “You know absolutely nothing about guns, do you?”

  She followed him up the footpath to the trail. “Kinda hoping to keep it that way.”

  They spent the rest of the hike back to the lodge bantering over menu items.

  When she climbed into bed that night, she was wildly torn in two very different directions. One direction led right toward Kai, who was possibly the most attractive man she’d ever known—and not just physically. She sensed a lot of layers behind those storm-green eyes. She wanted to know more about him, every part of him, inside and out.

  But that would require him knowing more about her. And she couldn’t risk that.

  There wasn’t really a choice. If she had to choose between the lure of a sexy man and her responsibility to Birdie, Birdie would always come first.

  9

  After dinner that night, Kai felt so restless that he hopped in his truck and drove into the town of Rocky Peak. With a population of only ten thousand or so, it offered little beyond the basics. Three grocery stores, a gas station, a post office, a bus stop, a combined police and fire department, a ski shop, a used bookstore, two churches, four restaurants, and three bars.

  One of which belonged to his brother Jake.

  Jake had bought the Last Chance Pub from an old-timer who’d nearly run it into the ground. But Jake insisted it had “good bones,” and now that he’d spent so much time and money fixing it up, Kai had to agree.

  It had the feel of an old London tavern, with a polished mahogany bar and candle sconces providing low, elegant light. Of the three bars in Rocky Peak, The Last Chance was the one you’d consider bringing a woman you were trying to impress.

  But not Nicole, because apparently she didn’t drink. Kai had forgotten to ask her why. So many questions still burned in his mind after their “one day.” He wanted to know more about her broken engagement, more about those ‘other commitments’ that slowed her down while she was getting her certification. More about the way her hair smelled, more about what made her smile.

  Face it, that one day with Nicole made him want another one. And then mostly likely another one.

  He sat at the bar, nursing a ten-year old Laphroaig left from the original owner’s stock, until Jake finally had a break between customers. His brother came over to him, wiping his hands on a bar towel, a warm smile in his gray-green eyes. His hair was long; its thick waves brushed his jawline. Kai noticed the appreciative female glances that followed his brother across the bar.

  “The place looks great, Jake,” Kai told him. “Sorry it took me so long to get down here.”

  “No worries. It wouldn’t exist without you, so I’m just happy you’re here.”

  Kai had provided some of the startup funds when Max had balked at the idea of financing a bar. Jake had paid him back within three years, but he still planned to claim the investors-drink-free card.

  “So how’s it going up there? You and Max blow the roof off the lodge yet?”

  “Nothing but peace and quiet.” Kai touched his whisky glass to Jake’s tankard of foaming ale. “Here’s hoping it lasts.”

  They both took a sip. “And Nicole? What’s your take on her, now that you’ve spent some time around her?”

  Kai shook his head, waiting for the smooth burn of the whiskey to subside. “Not sure yet. Sometimes she seems like a compassionate person who wants to do some good in the world. Her ideas for the lodge aren’t bad, per se. Most of them,” he amended, thinking of her crazy spa plan.

  “That’s what I thought, the two times I met her. My impression was “kind and hot.” He grinned. “You didn’t mention the “hot,” so I guess she’s not your type.”

  “I wouldn’t say that.”

  Jake lifted his eyebrows.

  “Because I don’t have a type,” Kai finished. “Types are too limiting. I like to keep an open mind.”

  Jake laughed and they clicked glasses again. “So what aren’t you sure about? Any danger signs you’ve noticed?”

  “Not exactly. I’ve noticed that when she talks about herself, she’s very vague. She only gives the minimum amount of information, the least she can get away with. No specifics. If she slips up and reveals something, she panics. She hides it well, but I can tell.”

  Jake threw his head back and laughed, drawing more glances from the women in the bar. “You’ve been paying close attention, my brother. Told you she was hot.”

  Kai snorted as he took another sip. “That’s what I’m here for, remember? I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t notice these little details.”

  “Sure,” Jake agreed readily. “Details matter. Like you can never really trust someone with brown eyes, so that right there—”

  “Her eyes are blue. Sort of a light blue verging on turquoise color. But definitely not brown.”

  Jake was laughing so hard he had to rest his hands on his knees. “Glad you’re on the case, bro. You’re busting this thing wide open.”

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  Jake’s phone rang. Saved by the ringtone. “Izzy,” he said right away. “Guess who’s sitting at my bar talking about blue eyes?”

  Kai could hear her shriek all the way on his side of the bar. Jake listened to her, nodding and smiling, then handed the phone over to Kai. “She wants to say ‘hi.’ Among many other things.”

  “Hey, Iz.” Kai greeted her as soon as the phone made its way to his ear. “Your twin is looking good. Just ask the unusually plentiful women at this bar.”

  “Oh, I know, it’s ridiculous. Don’t they know he’s a big goober who drools when he sleeps?”

  “I’ll make sure to spread the word.”

  “I can’t believe you’re there and I’m not around to witness it! Did you make up with Dad?” He heard the nervousness behind her question.

  “Why does everyone think I’m going to revert to my teenage rebel self as soon as I’m in the same room as Max? I’m a grown man now. He’s not on my ass all the time about stupid shit. We’re good now.”

  “That’s so great, Kai. You know he was really sad after you left. Jake wouldn’t let us tell you because he said it would be a guilt trip. But he was.”

  Kai fiddled with his bar napkin. The topic of his departure made him uncomfortable for many reasons. “It probably sucked having his best worker leave.”

  “Best? I used to chop more wood in an hour than you did in three. I could have been a pro. And just think, now I do surgery. Funny when you think about it.”

  “The world’s first chainsaw surgeon,” he teased. “Hopefully the only one.”

  “God, I still can’t believe you’re
back in Rocky Peak and I’m in the freaking Sudan. I’ve never been so homesick! Normally I’m too busy to miss home, but just thinking of you there, with Jake and Gracie and Dad, I’m so jealous. Are you guys going to watch Griffin’s race?”

  Kai glanced at Jake, who pointed to the television discreetly mounted in the corner. “Yeah, Jake’s going to show it at the bar. On this tiny-ass TV he has. Will you be back by then?”

  “No, not yet. I have a few more weeks here. But I’m dying to get home and see everyone!”

  Kai smiled, warmth expanding inside his chest. He hadn’t really expected his return to inspire this much joy in his siblings. He’d been in constant touch with them all—well, mostly—and had seen them often over the years. He loved to show up out of the blue and take them out for some random fun thing like whitewater rafting or a flight seeing trip. He’d celebrated Izzy’s med school graduation with a surprise trip to the Caribbean.

  So it wasn’t as if he’d been a stranger all these years. What difference did it make that he was back in Rocky Peak? Was it because of Max? Because their estrangement had been hard on his siblings?

  That thought gave him a hard pang. He couldn’t change the past, but he could be different going forward. Or he could try, anyway.

  After he hung up with Izzy, he waited for Jake to finish a round of refills at the bar. Every time Jake served someone, he also spoke to them, listened, smiled. The best bartenders were like that—they offered a friendly ear, a sympathetic shoulder. Good advice.

  Maybe he should pick his brother’s brain about Nicole.

  When he came Kai’s way again, Kai had a question all ready for him. “I noticed that you’re doling out advice along with the shots. I could use some.”

  “Let me guess. About Nicole?”

  “Yes, about what my next step should be. I think she’s holding something back.”

  Jake refilled his glass with another splash of Laphroaig. “Really, holding something back from the stranger who showed up out of the blue to scrutinize her motives?”