Rocky Mountain Home

by Hayes, Cassie

  Zach laughed with her, relieved that she’d finally loosened up. Her silly, lopsided grin lit up every room she entered, and even if he no longer harbored romantic feelings toward her, he still loved that smile.

  “At your service, mademoiselle. Now, let’s get back on track. Here, we’ll use the dry erase board.”

  An hour later, they sat in chairs next to each other staring up at the board. There was far too much white space, but they’d managed to jot down a couple of ideas. Hopefully one would sprout into something she would be happy with.

  The real success, as far as Zach was concerned, was how comfortable he felt in Mike’s presence. When she used to come home for a visit, he’d always felt tense hanging out with her. All those pent-up expectations had really dampened his enjoyment of her as a person. Now that he’d realized how unrealistic those expectations had been, he felt free.

  “So what do we see?” he asked, studying the board. “You like to ski. That’s a great big ‘duh!’”

  She giggled and snitched the last of his donut from the napkin in his hand.

  “Hey!” he grumbled.

  “You snooze, you lose. And don’t forget the mentoring. I’ve always enjoyed teaching younger team members new tricks and techniques.”

  “So…ski instructor? That’s setting the bar a little low, if you ask me, but it’s a jumping off point.”

  “So to speak,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

  “Gross! You know I don’t like see-food, chickadee!”

  “How old are you, dorkus?”

  Zach stood and brushed the crumbs from his jeans. “Old enough to know I shouldn’t be snarfing down three donuts for breakfast, that’s for sure. Do that too many times, and I’ll have a spare tire instead of a six pack.”

  He pulled his t-shirt up a little and patted his stomach. When he grinned over at Mike, she wasn’t smiling. Her eyes were glued to his belly, and she’d sucked her lower lip between her teeth. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was checking him out. But she’d made it crystal clear they were just friends.

  Dropping the shirt, he turned back to the board. “Teaching skiing is cool and all, but you’re the Mike Roberts. You can’t just be some entry-level instructor. I mean, do you know what those jobs pay?”

  “Uh huh.”

  She sounded slightly breathless, but he was too focused on a germ of an idea to do much more than register it.

  “Hey,” he exclaimed, spinning around to face her. Her eyes shot up to meet his. “What about a training camp for Olympic hopefuls? I know they’d have to go off to Utah eventually, but how cool would that be? The Mike Roberts Freestyle Ski Camp. Has a nice ring to it, right?”

  She blinked several times before answering. “You know, that doesn’t sound half bad. I could work with officials on the team to develop a training program, and maybe talk to some of my old sponsors about helping with funding.”

  “That would be fantastic! Do you think they’d do it?”

  “Maybe,” she mused, tapping her lips thoughtfully. “If there was a charitable component, it would be a slam dunk.”

  Zach turned an excited grin on her. “What about a youth outreach program? Partially community-based, but also bringing in kids from the Denver area.”

  “Perfect!” Mike jumped up and prowled around the office as she thought it through. “Sponsors are always looking for good causes to send money to. They’d eat this up. Of course, we’d probably have to hook up with an established nonprofit to coordinate that part.”

  “That’s where I’d come in. And assuming this job in Golden pans out, I could propose the project. It’s exactly the kind of thing the group loves!”

  Helping underprivileged kids had been a passion of Zach’s ever since he could remember. Now that Rocky Mountain Adventures was operating in the black, he and Spike had already discussed a very small version of what he could see happening with Mike’s program. If they all worked together, the possibilities were endless.

  He was about to spout off a hundred more suggestions tumbling around in his brain, when he caught sight of Mike’s wide eyes and pale cheeks. “Are you feeling okay? Too many donuts?”

  “Wha—“ Her voice caught and she cleared her throat. “What job?”

  “Oh, didn’t I tell you?” He knew perfectly well he hadn’t told her about the opportunity, but he wasn’t exactly sure why. But now that the beans had been spilled all over the place… “It’s not set in stone, but I’m leaving tomorrow for a job interview in Denver. I probably won’t get it.”

  The charge of excitement that had been crackling throughout the room only a moment before winked out. Mike blinked furiously, then turned away to grab her coat. A stab of guilt left him itching to touch her arm, to ask what was bothering her, but he stopped himself. If she wanted to tell him, she would. That’s what friends did.

  When she turned around though, she grinned broadly, as if she couldn’t have been happier for her best friend. Whatever he’d thought was behind the sudden shift in mood, he’d obviously been wrong. Again.

  “I don’t even know what the job is for,” she said as she shrugged into her coat, “but they’re idiots if they don’t hire you. If you need a personal reference, give them my number. I may not be the woman of the hour anymore, but people still recognize my name. For the time being, anyway.”

  “Um, okay,” he said, completely confused and confounded. “Hey, where are you going? We were on a roll.”

  Mike paused with her hand on the front door, keeping her back to him. “I need to get going and start making calls. Besides, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Thanks for the donuts!”

  Before Zach could insist she stay to hash out more details, she lifted a hand in a little wave, and then she was gone. He scratched the back of his neck as he watched her scurry across the street to her car, wondering what had just happened.

  6

  “Quit picking that muffin apart and eat it already,” chided Bri.

  Mike sighed and shoved a hunk of muffin into her mouth. Bri made the best baked goods this side of the Rockies, but the flavor-packed blueberry muffin barely registered. She chewed and swallowed mechanically, staring down at the messy pile of crumbs in front of her.

  “You should have had the orange.” Bekah walked up next to her and reached across the counter for the Roberts’ family favorite. “Honestly, how can you be the only spawn of Bob and Christina who doesn’t like orange muffins? Maybe you were switched at birth. That would explain a lot.”

  “Then how do you explain that adorable crooked grin you both share?” Hunter Sloane, Bekah’s new husband, sidled up next to his bride and stole half her muffin, bringing a fresh wave of pain to Mike’s heart.

  Had it been only a week since she’d stolen Zach’s donut?

  “You can have the rest, husband dear. We need to run anyway.” She gave Mike a peck on the cheek before dragging Hunter toward the door of B&B’s B&B. “Later!”

  The moment the door clicked shut, Bri turned to Mike, concern etched on her face. “Cuz, you’ve looked like someone stole your puppy since you got here. What’s up?”

  Mike hadn’t told a soul about finding Zach’s box of photos and clippings of her. At first, she hadn’t been sure whether to be worried he was a stalker, or flattered that he was so clearly in love with her. Since she’d known him almost her entire life, she felt confident he’d never harm her, so she went with ‘flattered.’

  But then, a strange thing had started happening. Every time she thought about that ancient duct-taped boot box, butterflies the size of pterodactyls flopped around in her stomach and her skin flushed. And if she wasn’t thinking about Zach during the day, she was dreaming about him at night. Very vivid dreams that left her feeling embarrassed and energized at the same time.

  “It’s nothing,” she mumbled, poking at her crumbs until Bri swept them into the trash.

  “Come on, Mike. Spill.”

  Bri had always been trustworthy, and as m
ortifying as the situation was, Mike was burning to tell someone about her discovery — and the strange emotions she was feeling. She might have some good insight.

  “I did something stupid. I ran across a box in Zach’s house that I thought were Spike’s boots, but it turned out to be filled with stuff about me — photos, articles, and postcards I’d sent him.”

  Bri shrugged as she poured two cups of coffee. “So he’s proud of you. We all are.”

  “I might have agreed with you, if it wasn’t for the letter.”

  “What letter?”

  “The letter at the bottom of the box addressed to me,” Mike mumbled under her breath.

  Bri’s eyes grew wide. “Tell me you didn’t!”

  Mike dropped her head in shame. “I did. But seriously, how could I not?”

  “Um, you just don’t?”

  “You’re a better person than me, Bri Black.”

  “Clearly. So what did it say?”

  Mike narrowed her gaze at her. “You’re giving me crap for reading it, and now you want to know what it said?”

  Bri grinned. “Hey, I’m not the one who opened a letter that was never meant to be read.”

  “Whatever,” Mike huffed. “Anyway, the gist was that he was in love with me. Always has been and always will be. I don’t remember all the details.”

  She didn’t feel too guilty about the lie — every word of that letter was burned into her memory. It seemed to play on a constant loop in her head, day and night, and with each replay, her heart beat just a little faster.

  My Dearest Mike,

  First of all, congrats on taking home a bronze medal! I knew you could do it. I made everyone in my dorm watch you compete. You probably heard us cheering all the way from California when you stepped on that podium. I wish I could have been there in person!

  I’m not sure how to say the next part, so I guess I’ll just say it. I love you. I’m so utterly in love with you, it hurts sometimes. I watch you on TV and miss you like I never thought possible. I miss your laugh, your jokes, your lopsided smile. I even miss the way you always called me dorkus malorkus. I can’t wait for us to be together again and pick up where we left off.

  Out of curiosity, when do you think that will be? I never really believed you’d go back to Silver Springs right after the Olympics, despite what you told me, but it’s been almost two years. Please put me out of my misery and tell me when that day will come. Until I hear back from you, I will continue to hope the answer isn’t ‘never.’

  With all my love,

  Zach

  PS: I love all the postcards you’ve been sending me. I had to look up Val Gardena on the internet. It’s beautiful! Maybe we can go there together some day.

  “And?” Bri asked.

  Was she kidding? “And…Zach is in love with me! Zach. In love. With me!”

  Understanding dawned on Bri’s face. “Oh. You didn’t know, did you?” She patted Mike’s hand, before moving to the fridge and pulling out food, presumably ingredients for dinner.

  Mike gaped at her cousin. “You knew?”

  “Of course,” Bri said with a snort. “Pretty sure everyone in town knows. Zach’s been in love with you since we were kids.”

  “Nuh uh!”

  “Uh huh!” Bri shot back. “Remember Bobby Carson and how he used to pick on you in middle school?”

  “How could I forget? Mom tried to convince me he liked me, but I knew better. He was just plain mean.”

  “Do you remember when he stopped bullying you?”

  Now that Bri mentioned it, she couldn’t remember exactly when Bobby had left her alone. One day, about halfway through the school year, she’d realized he never came near her anymore. She’d just assumed he’d found someone else to bully.

  “That was Zach’s doing,” Bri continued, pulling out a giant chef’s knife.

  “How do you know that? You were in first grade!”

  Bri grinned as she chopped carrots. “Really? You know what terrible gossips we Roberts are!”

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

  “We thought you knew, weirdo. How dense can you be? The guy has been pining for you for twenty years.”

  “Well, now it appears the tables have turned.” Mike sighed and dropped her forehead to the counter. “He’s all I think about.”

  “That’s great news! So why do you look upset?”

  “Because…it’s Zach! My best friend.”

  “Even better.” Bri dropped the carrots into a stewpot, then started on celery. “I say you should go for it, and I think it’s fair to say I speak for every single Roberts cousin, including your brother.”

  “What if it doesn’t work out? How can I risk losing my best friend?”

  Bri laid the knife down, braced her hands on the counter and stared deep into Mike’s eyes. “And what if you fall deeply in love and live happily ever after with your best friend? There’s nothing better than that, cuz, trust me.”

  The idea of growing old with Zach held more appeal than she was ready to admit, but an image of them surrounded by three — no, four — loving kids nearly brought tears to her eyes. Then she thought about how those imaginary kids would have been conceived, and her entire body heated up. The sound of blood pumping through her veins brought a smile to her lips.

  “Thing is, Mike, while you were gone, Zach could keep on hoping you’d hook up when you came home. Now that you’re back, he’s only going to wait so long for you to see the light. If you have the slightest inclination—“

  “Oh, trust me, I’m inclined. I’m very inclined.” Mike fanned her face, drawing a laugh from Bri.

  “Then fish or cut bait, my friend. Make hay while the sun’s shining. Put up or shut up. I could think of a few more choice sayings, but you get my point. You were complaining the other day about how none of the guys you’ve dated have liked you for you, and here’s an awesome, gorgeous, wonderful man who’s loved you since long before you were famous, and he’s serving himself up to you on a golden platter. Just do it!”

  “Boy, you’re full of clichés today, aren’t you?” she teased, thinking her cousin had a very good point.

  “I am what I am,” Bri responded with a wink. The sound of a car pulling into the B&B’s tiny parking lot drew her gaze. “What the…?”

  Mike craned her neck, wondering what had turned Bri’s face from radiant to confused to gloomy, but she couldn’t see out the window from where she sat. Bri slowly turned toward the front door, catching Mike’s eye for a moment — a moment that inexplicably cramped Mike’s gut. As the door swung open, Mike found herself wishing for it to close and she had no idea why.

  Then Zach peeked around the corner with a huge grin lighting up his face, and relief — along with a variety of very new emotions — welled up inside her. Why had Bri looked so sullen?

  The answer clung to Zach’s arm like a barnacle. A stunning blonde who could have been a runway model — probably was — bounced through the door in a dress more suited for the L.A. club scene than sleepy little Silver Springs. And she gazed up at Zach with stars in her eyes.

  Crap.

  * * *

  Deidre bounded up the stairs to her room on the second floor of the bed and breakfast Mike’s sister and cousin owned, her happy bits bouncing nicely the entire way. It really was a sight to behold, and one he was quite content to watch from the bottom of the stairs. Only when she disappeared around the corner did he shake his head in wonder and turn toward the kitchen.

  “Thanks for finding room for my friend, Bri,” he said, grabbing a blueberry muffin from the plate on the counter. “I’m sure she’ll be very comfortable here.”

  “No problem,” Bri said, her gaze rapidly flicking between him and Mike. “I, um…I better go, um…do something.”

  What’s up with her? Zach thought as Bri scurried out of the room like a cat with tape on its tail. He turned a grin on Mike, but his smile faltered at her pained expression. What’s up with her?

  “Hey, s
tranger,” he said, sitting next to her at the counter and nudging her shoulder with his.

  “Welcome home.” Her voice sounded strained. It almost had an edge to it. “Where’d you find her?”

  Zach’s eyes dropped to his muffin, but he couldn’t stop a smile from tickling his lips. “Denver.”

  Mike whistled low. “So…I guess you had a good trip.” The edge grew sharper.

  “It’s not like that.” The words spilled from his lips before he could even wonder why he felt such a strong urge to explain himself. “I met Deidre through a dating app. She told me she’d never hiked in the Rockies before, so I invited her up for the Blues Festival and some outdoor activities.”

  Mike snorted, then hopped off her barstool and took Bri’s place chopping vegetables. “No doubt some indoor activities too. Why did you bring her here instead of your place?”

  “I told you, it’s not like that. Besides, if I so much as walk up those stairs, the entire town will be planning my wedding.”

  Mike’s knife slipped and she cried out. Zach leaped from his seat and rushed to her, pulling her finger from her mouth to check how much she’d cut off. A tiny bubble of blood rose to the surface — barely even a nick. She pulled her hand back like he’d scalded her and moved to the sink, where Bri kept a small first aid kit.

  “Are you mad at me?” he asked, honestly curious. He had no idea what he might have done to earn her wrath, but she was certainly acting angry.

  “Not in the slightest,” she ground out as she wrapped a bandage around her finger, then pulled on a nitrile glove.

  Despite her denial, she still wouldn’t meet his eye when she resumed her chore. Something was going on. Zach returned to his seat and munched on his muffin.

  “As I was saying, I just met her, and you know how quickly everyone knows everyone else’s business in Silver Springs.”

  “You’d be surprised,” she muttered as she grabbed a giant yellow onion and started chopping it into microscopic bits.

  “I didn’t want anyone getting the wrong impression, which is why I brought her here.”