by Rayna Stone
Well, she didn’t manage to take Alexa with her then, but if Alexa didn’t find a way to hold on to something stable soon, she might as well have. Alexa would be nothing more than a ghost who had no place in this world, and she hadn’t fought to survive all these years to let that happen. She was stronger than that and she was ready to face her biggest fear. Trying to make a home and risking that she would fail. That fear had kept her moving all these years, but now she would plant the seed and hope she had the strength to make those roots take hold. The contract she signed with the University of Colorado and the Denver Museum was her precious seed in a packet.
Turning into the massive parking lot, Alexa shut down her car and opened the door to fill her lungs with cleansing air. The smell of fast food that lingered in her car had stopped making her nauseous, but she didn’t think she could stomach one more French fry. The summer session was beginning in just a few days, and she would be spending it on a dig site with grad students. Grad students who probably loved friggin’ French fries. Then she’d spend two semesters working with those students on research and writing for their thesis projects. Alexa would be committed to people for a whole year. She would be in one location for a whole year. She had a year to try and make a life for herself. Then, well then she had her out. If she couldn’t do it, there was always a new job and a new place to go.
Knowing that she would soon see her old advisor, Dr. Holcox, had Alexa doing a little jiggle in her seat. She hadn’t seen him since she finished with her doctorate, though they talked often. He was the nicest professor she had ever had, and the closest thing to a friend. They were heading to dinner tonight and she couldn’t wait to fight over Pink Floyd songs, and argue over who had seen the best concerts. Well obviously he has me beat. Fucking Woodstock. It was not her fault she hadn’t been born.
Alexa practically ran into the building. It was as if she were a doctorate student again and heading to the museum to work on her specimens. This place had been more of a home for her than any other place. She remembered countless all-nighters preparing fossils. Carefully breaking the bone away from the matrix of rock to reveal the body of a creature that was over sixty-five million years old. It always made her feel connected to the universe. That she could touch something that had lived so long ago gave her a kind of peace. She mattered. If an animal that had been gone for millions of years was still relevant and in her hands, wasn’t she relevant, too? Sometimes it was the only time she felt like she existed. As if those bones were the only thing that could remind her that she was alive and made a difference, even if it was only to that long deceased animal and the people who would one day look on it with awe.
“Little Lex!”
Alexa swung around knowing immediately that Carl had found her. Nobody but Dr. Holcox had ever given her a pet name. She felt the blush staining her cheeks. She was not little. Well, at least not in her opinion. She was short. There was a difference.
“Dr. Holcox. It’s so good to see you! I can’t tell you how excited I am to work with you this year.” She smiled and rushed over to him. She only stiffened slightly when he embraced her. Physical contact was still so foreign to her that it always took her by surprise.
“I thought I told you to call me Carl the day you graduated, Dr. Green. I cannot work with you if you don’t lighten up a bit.” He chuckled.
Cocking her head to the side, Alexa appraised her mentor with a little smirk. “Fine, I’ll lighten up after you update me on all the office politics. I need to be prepared if anyone here likes to strong-arm amazing finds away from university students.”
Carl stopped in his tracks with his hand on the door. “Amazing finds? You’ve already been to the site haven’t you?”
“Oh yes. You know me, I don’t like surprises and I hate digging all summer for nothing. I believe you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what I think we may get our hands on.”
Carl pushed open the door and gestured for Alexa to proceed him to the parking lot. “I have always loved the way you think, dear. I can’t wait to hear all about it. And there is one asshole at the museum we may need to run interference with, but I trust we can manage. Now, have you found an apartment yet?”
Alexa rolled her eyes. “No, I was just going to get a hotel until I scope out my options. I literally just finished up in Kansas and hit the road.”
“Well then, allow me to offer you the guesthouse at my place. No need to hole up in a hotel, and I’d love for you to see Holly Oaks. It’s the perfect midpoint between Boulder and Denver. Since you’re going to be back and forth between the two so often, you might want to consider finding something there. Plus, I think you’ll like our little town. I don’t see you giving up your beloved hikes all year, and being in downtown Denver won’t make that easy. We’ll have dinner at the local tavern and I’ll show you around. If you like it, I think you’ll be able to get more for your money there anyway. Denver is so expensive these days.”
Alexa happily nodded her head and watched as he scratched his address on a piece of paper for her. The cost wasn’t a problem for her, but he had no way of knowing that. Though they could talk for hours, they stuck to artificial topics and their work. Even back when they were closer as student and advisor, she didn’t talk about her past. Nobody knew anything about her financial situation. It actually surprised her that no one had ever asked. She was the only paleontologist she knew who wasn’t fighting for a university position or trying to push her way into a museum. It didn’t pay to work the way she did, but her commitment issues prevented her from signing any contracts that weren’t extremely short term.
She had abandoned her past the day she started college. No one but Carl even knew that she didn’t have a family. Perhaps everyone else just thought she grew up with money and didn’t need to secure a salary. That was fine with her. Not the whole truth, she didn’t grow up with money, but she had it now and she’d take advantage of that to live the way she needed to live. She didn’t owe anyone any explanations.
“Meet me at my place. We can walk to the Tavern from there.” Carl jogged over to his jeep while she got in her car and fired up her GPS. She was definitely interested in a town that would make her commute to work easier. She was looking forward to seeing this Holly Oaks.
* * * *
“Wow.” Alexa couldn’t take in the town fast enough. It was simply beautiful. They were in the foothills with the snowcapped peaks of the Rockies looming large overhead. She’d lost track of how many hiking trail signs she’d passed but she knew she wanted to try them all. This place was simply stunning. How did she go to school in Boulder for so many years and never hear of this little gem? And how long had Carl lived here? She’d never been to his place when she was a student because it would have been too inappropriate, but she’d always assumed he lived in Boulder. This could be the perfect place to try and settle in to a more stable life. There didn’t seem to be too many people to steal her oxygen, and the scenery alone was worth it.
It appeared that the whole town was centered along Main Street. She snorted at the thought. Main Street, indeed. It looked like one of those towns left behind with the gold rush, but every shop was unique and trendy. There were bookstores, coffee shops, custom jewelry stores, and a boutique for every style of clothes imaginable. “How do these people stay in business,” she whispered. There couldn’t be enough of a population to support so many eclectic businesses.
She shook off her mental calculations of the local economy as her GPS instructed her to turn out of the town square. Less than five minutes later she pulled into what she could only describe as the cutest little cottage she had ever seen outside of the Lord of the Rings movies. She was still trying not to laugh at the mental image of Carl being a hobbit when he came to her door and opened it. “I love your place, Carl.” Damn. She almost got that out without giggling. “I’m sorry! I really do love it. It’s so cute I sort of want to hug it. It’s just. Well, it’s just not what I envisioned when I thought about where you might live
.”
Carl gave her a mocking frown. “And just what did you envision?”
Alexa shrugged her shoulders as she accepted his help out of her car. “Oh, I dunno. A rustic cabin in the woods? A tent in the local hippie commune?”
“Being a hippie stopped being fun in the seventies. And I like my material comforts too much to pretend I don’t. I wouldn’t mind a cabin, but I thought this had more character. Though I will say, even a man my age doesn’t want to hear he lives in a home so cute it could be hugged. I’m going to have to do something very manly that involves sheer muscle strength very soon to rectify this feeling I’m having.”
Alexa laughed, the thought of Carl chopping wood or heaving river stone flitting through her imagination. Carl was a bit of a rough guy, but she couldn’t see any man in his early seventies showing off his muscles.
“There’s a little guesthouse around back. It’s not much, but it’ll do until you find somewhere else. Let’s just put some of your things away and then head over for dinner. You can tell me all about your plans for this summer’s dig.” Carl hefted her largest suitcase out of the trunk with a pointed look. She smiled to herself as she followed him
Part of the reason she never came back before was because she knew in her heart she wouldn’t be able to keep this wonderful man locked out. He had been like a father figure to her when she was a student, always giving advice and available to listen to her concerns. He was the only one who showed excitement over her accomplishments. In a way, she could let him into her life back then because she knew it would end at graduation. As his student, Alexa didn’t have to really open up and let him in. She desperately wanted that connection to him though. She’d felt so much pain in her life simply because she was so alone. It was only now, when she knew she could no longer live such an empty existence, that she had the courage to take this leap.
Putting away her meager belongings only took an hour. Alexa glanced at the half-empty closet and imagined for a minute she was some fugitive on the run. Not many people could probably pack up their whole life and be out the door in minutes flat. Well, not unless they were also the type to map out exit strategies and carry weapons. God, I’m pathetic. Vowing to buy furniture when she found a place to stay this time, Alexa left the little guesthouse and headed outside where Carl had been waiting for her for the last ten minutes.
“Okay, all set. Now lead me to the food. I’m so hungry I might have to gnaw on some grass if this walk is going to take us long.” She wasn’t even half kidding.
“Not far. How about you tell me why you accepted my offer this year.”
“What?” Alexa had a moment’s panic. “Did you change your mind about working with me?”
Carl glared at her. “Lex, I’ve been asking you to work in our department ever since you graduated. You’ve never accepted before. Not even when I rather shamelessly begged you to come for a short conference. And don’t think I haven’t noticed that you only stay in one place for a few months. Why did you agree to finally take me up on my offer?” At her reluctance, he nudged her shoulder. “Come on, grasshopper, talk to me.”
Alexa watched her feet, kicking pebbles as she shuffled forward. She had no idea he’d noticed any of that. Yes, he’d asked her to work with him plenty of times, but she didn’t realize he may care why she always said no. “I’m ready for a change I guess. Moving around all the time is starting to really put a strain on me. I thought about the positions you e-mailed. I’m not ready to consider anything long term, but I figured I’d work with the students this year. Really commit to them for a project from start to finish. See if this is something I could enjoy doing.” She shrugged her shoulders and continued on, hoping that was a good enough answer. Yes, she wanted to open herself up, had just reinforced that promise to herself, but did the man have to start on the personal questions before she even had a chance to eat?
Carl’s brown eyes turned soft, and it seemed his whole face smoothed out in kindness. “Listen, Lex. I never pushed you before because you were my student. But I’d have to be blind not to see the shadows in your eyes. Not to notice how separate you kept yourself from everyone. Even when you would relent and come out with us after a dig to have some drinks, you were always so far away.” Alexa conceded the point when he gave her his rueful smile.
“All I’m saying is that I know you don’t have any family, and I know everyone needs some. So, I’m here if you need me. I’m really glad you took this job. I hope you find a reason to stay.”
The trees started shimmering through the veil of tears forming in Alexa’s eyes. He really had seen. So much more than she thought. “I’m glad I’m here, too.” She gave him a tentative smile and hoped he understood that was all she could give right now.
“Well, then. Why don’t you fill in me in on these potentially spectacular finds you’ve scoped out for our students.” Alexa sighed in relief that he seemed ready to give her a reprieve. She could talk shop until she was blue in the face.
She’d been so caught up in her head over the dig site that she didn’t even realize Carl had stopped walking. She stopped short and looked up and down the street. They weren’t in a business district, just a simple street with houses on both sides. The Tavern was perhaps more extravagant, but it was still just a home refurbished into a restaurant. Three stories of beautiful Victorian architecture rose in front of her.
“That’s an interesting shade of purple. You wouldn’t think creamy lavender would work on a house, but it looks stunning and dignified.”
Carl’s eyes gleamed as he opened the door. “I’m not sure the owner was going for dignified, but he’ll love that it’s stunning.”
Alexa looked at the stylish house and wondered at Carl’s statement. She didn’t know what he meant, but she loved that this beautiful building held a restaurant amidst the homes surrounding it. It didn’t need to be advertised with signs or lights. This place fit right in with the rest of the neighborhood, like it welcomed them over for dinner every night. She liked that idea. It screamed community to her and made her feel like if she just let this place, maybe they would welcome her too.
Chapter Two
Dr. James Gainer watched as his lover tried to politely remove the Tavern’s owner’s hand from his thigh. Justin was a shameless flirt and never hid how much he wanted Dr. Ryan Stromfield. Since Justin was a three-hundred-pound extremely effeminate man with a penchant for cuddling, James was just happy it was Ryan that Justin seemed fond of. He knew that Justin was a bit afraid of him because he was a Dom. Sometimes he liked to play the role up a bit just to keep Justin on his toes. The teddy bear of a restaurant owner wasn’t in the lifestyle, but he was submissive to the bone and would never cross James.
“I don’t know what you see in that bad, bad boy, Ryan. Why don’t you just leave him and come home with me? I’d never make you follow orders. I’d worship you.”
James could see Ryan trying desperately not to laugh at the high-pitched singsong quality of Justin’s cooing. Every time they ate here it was the same thing. Justin tried to get Ryan to leave James, and then he’d grovel that he didn’t mean it. He was such a drama queen, but they did love him. He was a good man down to the depths of his soul. There wasn’t a person in this town he didn’t help in some way. They all loved him. It really was impossible not to.
“Justin. Kindly remove your hands from my sub. I don’t want to have to punish you for touching what doesn’t belong to you.” James used his most serious tone. They all knew he’d never lay a hand on Justin, but Justin liked to play this game so he wouldn’t disappoint him.
“Oh…Master James! I didn’t mean…I would never…please don’t smack my bottom.” Justin’s eyes were watering now. “I have very tender skin. And I bruise…Who is that?” Justin was out of character and back to restaurant owner and gossip extraordinaire in a heartbeat. James and Ryan both looked in the direction Justin was staring and saw why he was panicking. There was a new person in his restaurant with Professor Holcox. “Ok
ay, beauties. I have a customer to impress. Kisses to you both.” It amazed James that the man could move so fast, but when there was a new customer in his domain, he was like a whisper on the wind to make sure they never had a dining experience better than what he could provide.
“Christ, I hope that woman drools over the food. I cannot deal with a depressed Justin after the day we’ve had.” Ryan was rubbing his temples and rolling his shoulders. Yes, it had been a bad day. They had both spent hours in surgery trying to save a pit bull that got into his owner’s supply of Easter grass. They had to remove close to sixty percent of his intestines. The surgery was a grueling, last-ditch effort to save the animal. They didn’t really have high hopes the dog would survive, but they would do anything they could to save him.
Things were looking up until just an hour before regular hours ended. Their patient had a seizure and died in the recovery room. Bam. Just like that. All those hours of surgery and aftercare meant nothing. Everyone monitored every second of the recovery. They did everything right and were seeing improvements, but it all ended in a matter of seconds that nobody could anticipate or treat. There was no bringing him back.
“At least Kat was home already and has Mac and Jay there to comfort her.” James loved their technician, Kat. She came into all their lives on a whirlwind. She was amazing to work with, and she completed their friends Mac and Jay in a way that James and Ryan envied. She would take losing this patient hard. Kat always got attached to the animals and every loss was difficult for her. Now that she was pregnant, nobody wanted to see her upset. Thankfully, James knew that her men would comfort her.