Rocky Retreat

by Vivian Arend

  She was nearly at the end of her shift before the familiar bell over the door announced he’d arrived. She paused in the middle of wiping down the counter, looking him over from top to bottom. He stomped the snow off his boots, dark blue jeans casing powerful thighs as he walked forward. Her attention rose to his square jaw and the smile he offered seemingly just for her.

  The cook stuck her head through the kitchen doorframe. “I’d just about given up on you,” Sarah intoned melodramatically. “The coffee is bitter, and the eggs wouldn’t set, and nothing was right because you weren’t here.”

  Rachel threw a napkin at the woman who stuck her tongue out and vanished behind the swinging door.

  Lee chuckled as he slid a hip onto a stool at the counter. “Sorry about that, Sarah,” he answered loud enough she could hear him in the back. “I had no idea my presence was what made you such a fabulous cook.”

  She made a face at him from the other side of the kitchen pass through before getting back to work.

  Lee turned his attention to Rachel. “How’s your morning going?”

  “It’s been rough. Convincing my colleagues they can operate this place without seeing you first thing every morning.” She put a coffee cup in front of him, filling it as she smiled.

  He caught her free hand and stroked his thumb over her fingers, speaking quietly. “And can you operate without me? You’re the one I want to miss me.”

  His accompanying wink softened the possessiveness of his words. “It’s difficult, but somehow I managed.”

  He spent the next half-hour talking to her when she had a moment, but other than that, he sipped his coffee and watched her. His gaze followed her through the shop, but it wasn’t creepy, it just made her temperature rise.

  All too soon he dropped money on the counter. “Friday night at Traders?”

  “Dancing?”

  Lee nodded, moving in close enough he could tuck his fingers into her belt as he held her against him. He placed his mouth close to her ear as he spoke too quietly to be overheard. “I need an excuse to get you in my arms. I miss waking up with you against me. I miss your fingers playing over my skin, and the scent of you filling my head like a drug.”

  Well, now. “I’d enjoy dancing with you too.”

  He pressed a brief kiss on her before heading for the door. Rachel stared after him, her lips still tingling. Hell, not just her lips. The man made her hot. Period.

  Connie stood at the counter, fanning a hand in front of her face. “Do I need to get the fire extinguisher?”

  Rachel deliberately put on a bored expression as she moved past her coworker toward the serving station. “Nah. We’re just friends, that’s all.”

  “Friends with benefits,” Connie muttered before thankfully dropping the topic.

  But after that comment? Something unsettling rolled over Rachel, and everything she’d gotten up to with Lee over the past week seemed not quite as wonderful.

  She thought about it after her shift, continuing to worry off and on all afternoon. Heck, all the next day as well.

  Lee had definitely been the one to put the brakes on their relationship. If she’d been in charge of the decision, they would’ve had sex while still up at the cabin.

  There was something wonderful about how attentive he’d been, but it still felt strange. He said he wanted to go slow—while Gary had pushed for the exact opposite. It was almost as if she’d been a challenge to her ex, something he needed to accomplish as quickly as possible.

  And in the end, what she’d offered Gary hadn’t been enough, or at least it seemed that way since he’d chosen to go from her bed straight into a half-dozen other women’s arms.

  Would Lee come to regret he’d made a move? Sure, he’d asked her out in the spring, and they fooled around a little during their time in the cabin, but would he continue to want to see her?

  Maybe all that electrical connection between them was just part of being trapped in a cabin.

  Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  Nope. She knew on her part the attraction was real. But there was no way to know for sure with Lee, since obviously her ability to figure out guys was sketchy.

  By the time Lee picked her up on Friday, she’d worked herself into a bundle of nerves. The only thing she knew for sure was—she didn’t know anything. She was back in Rocky, and she was dating Lee Coleman, maybe, and other than that, everything seemed to be one big wide-open slate to write on. If only she was more certain what their next move should be.

  And for someone who until recently had prided herself on taking control of her life, it was a very uncomfortable situation.

  Walking into Traders eased a few of her fears.

  In Rocky Mountain House, there were a couple of places to go on a Friday night, or any night for that matter, but Traders Pub was known in the community as the place the Coleman clan hung out. Not just them—the place was popular with a wide range of ages and backgrounds. One side of the building was dedicated to a dance floor and bar, and on the opposite side of the central wall was a quieter section with pool tables and dartboards, and tables people congregated around to talk while they drank.

  The owners were fairly brilliant people, Rachel realized, because in one location they catered to just about every demographic of the small town.

  As Lee guided her through the doors on the dance side of the building, Rachel realized a strange coincidence had occurred. The average age on the dance floor hovered somewhere just over the Alberta legal drinking age of eighteen. Maybe there was a birthday party, maybe it was YOLO night at the pub, but as they moved into the crowded space, Rachel didn’t recognize many faces.

  Or more, she recognized the faces but not the names, because ninety percent of the crowd were the younger siblings or the children of people she served on a regular basis in the café.

  We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

  Even the music wasn’t quite right. The songs were familiar enough, but the tunes weren’t her type. They were that horrific mix of what she considered one step away from blasphemy.

  Lee guided them to a standing-room-only table just off the dance floor, linking his arm around her waist and pulling her against his body as he gestured for a waitress and ordered drinks.

  Rachel leaned in closer so he could hear her. “Whoever mixed rap with country music needs to be taken out behind the barn and shot.”

  His grin widened. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not so bad, unless you want to do karaoke.”

  A shudder rocked her. “Not on a dare. Not if I were drunk on a dare.”

  They chatted for a few minutes before the drinks came, the girl who delivered them checking Lee over with open admiration. Her gaze lingered on him even after she spotted his arm around Rachel’s waist.

  The adorable young thing tilted her head to the side. “There’s a bonfire happening down at the Tree after closing time.”

  She wasn’t sharing this information for Rachel’s sake, that much was clear, as her gaze remained firmly fixed on Lee and her lashes went to work double time.

  Rachel swore she felt a breeze.

  “I’ve already got plans,” Lee answered easily. “But thanks. Tell the guys I’ll see them some other time.”

  The waitress wandered off once she peeled her eyes off him. Rachel sipped her drink and tried to put out the jealous fire in her belly.

  Lee seemed not to notice. He linked their fingers together, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand. “Do you get any time off at Christmas?” he asked.

  It seemed too far away to be making those kinds of plans, but in reality it was about two weeks to the holiday. Rachel blinked herself back to attention. “I have a few days, but I already told my mom and dad I’d join them in Calgary. My sister is flying in with the kids to spend Christmas Day.”

  He nodded. One more adjustment and she was nestled against him, his arm wrapped around her as if he couldn’t get enough of touching her. His lips brushed her neck. “If it works, I’d love to ha
ve you come by for the Coleman Boxing Day party. Bonfire, sledding, food and more food. You know, a typical gathering.”

  And a safe gathering. Everyone knew the four Coleman families still ranching in the area gathered on that day. Friends of the family were always invited, and on that day and their annual Canada Day picnic, the clan seemed to deal with the size of their collective gatherings by simply adding more people. Rachael had heard the event was fun.

  It would be even more fun if she went with Lee. “I can do that. What time, and which family is hosting?”

  “It’s at the Six Pack ranch this year. Starts sometime in the afternoon, as long as it’s not too cold or the wind chill too high.” He tilted her face toward his and kissed her as if he couldn’t get enough. “I’ll pick you up.”

  She wasn’t sure if it was amazing to be the center of his attention or terrible. Gary had done that. Made her the center of all his attention for a short time, and then it had been gone.

  Lee isn’t Gary.

  No, he wasn’t. He was far more intense than her ex-husband, even at ten years younger.

  She glanced around the room as someone else caught Lee’s attention, shouting noisily beside them. His twenty-four years didn’t seem that young until she spotted herself in the mirror behind the bar and considered she was thirty-three with one failed attempt at marriage.

  Strange how emotionally torn she was. One minute she didn’t give a damn about the spread of years between them, and the next, it seemed huge.

  Rachel shoved aside her concerns best she could. They were only dating. This was about fun and enjoying each other’s company. She certainly wasn’t looking for anyone to settle down with, and at twenty-four, a casual relationship was perfect for him too.

  Still, the uneasy sensation in her gut didn’t go away, so she did the only thing she could.

  She blamed it on the god-awful music.

  Out on the small dance floor with Rachel in his arms, they’d finally reached what should be the highlight of his evening. Instead, something was off. Nothing he could put his finger on, but it was enough that he noticed.

  They’d danced in the cabin, sort of, music provided by his cell phone before the battery had died, and they’d fit together well. But now, instead of melting against him, Rachel held herself so rigid he was worried she’d strain something. Her hands barely touched his shoulders, and he missed how she’d played with the hair at the back of his neck. The small noises she’d made as she’d danced, humming along with the tunes—tonight he got silence.

  This was crazy. “What’s wrong?”

  They were close enough she didn’t have to shout in response for him to hear, except her answer of “nothing” was no answer at all.

  Everything was wrong. That’s what her tone of voice said.

  Lee wrapped his fingers around her braid, tugging till her face turned upward. “Do you want to go somewhere to talk?”

  She shook her head and gamely attempted a smile. “Don’t mind me. I’m just in a grumbly state of mind. I don’t know what’s wrong, and nothing’s wrong, and—we should drop this before I repeat myself another dozen times.”

  Lee tucked her closer, cradling her head against him and moving slowly in time with the music. Hoping the contact would wash away whatever was hurting her.

  It seemed to partly work, because when the song ended she took him by the hand and pulled him to the opposite side of the building. Around the corner and through the door to where, instead of music and the dance floor, there were tables to talk quietly. She found them seats, settling beside him with a sigh. “I’m being a party pooper—I’m sorry.”

  He caught her fingers in his. “We’ve got no agenda. We can hang out here for a while. I don’t mind.”

  What he did mind was feeling helpless to get her past whatever was bugging her.

  Her expression brightened slightly as she looked around. “Not a lot of your family out. I expected to see more of them.”

  “I did too,” Lee confessed. “Turns out they all ended up with plans for the night, between Christmas parties and school singalongs, and no, I didn’t want to go listen to an elementary-school concert.”

  “What? You know you’re missing the fourth graders’ magnificent recorders rendition of ‘O Christmas Tree’,” she teased.

  The thought made him shiver. “Thank God for that.”

  She laughed before squeezing his fingers. “Thank you for trying to cheer me up.”

  He nodded. “You don’t have to be sunshine all the time. If you want me to take you home, that’s fine. You’ve had a busy week.”

  “Maybe soon.” She seemed finally ready to share when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.

  He glanced up to see one of his father’s friends. “Hatch.”

  The older man nodded politely toward him and Rachel before tilting his head to the side. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

  Lee reluctantly rose and followed him, Rachel offering a commiserating wink before he lost sight of her.

  Hatch paused by the wall and started in on something that didn’t need to be discussed here and now. Something about a hay order his father had promised. Still, he didn’t want to be rude and interrupt, but the longer it took Hatch to get to his point, the less patient Lee found himself.

  It wasn’t as if he could solve the issue right then anyway. What did the man expect? That he’d drop everything to go dig a tractor out of the snow in the dark and start hauling bales?

  “I’ll make sure my dad gives you a call first thing in the morning,” he offered.

  “If he doesn’t move soon, I’ll find someone else to work with,” Hatch warned.

  This was not the time or place to discuss ranch business. Right now, all he wanted was to return to Rachel’s side and get out of there.

  Lee turned back and his stomach clenched.

  She wasn’t alone anymore.

  Chapter Seven

  As Lee walked away, Rachel found herself shutting out the rest of her surroundings. Except, there was a spot on the wall. A small one—and after staring at it for a while she figured out it was a nail hole where a picture used to hang.

  In the middle of all the noise and laughter around her, for some reason that blank section of wall seemed fascinating. Maybe because it looked as empty as she felt inside.

  Damn if she could figure out what had brought on this morose mood, and she had to snap out of it, now. It wasn’t fair to Lee to drag him down like this.

  As soon as he got back, she’d ask him to take her home. Maybe a hot bath and long sleep would knock the cobwebs from her brain.

  The chair beside her pulled back, and she took a deep breath, forcing a smile to her lips as she turned to face—

  It wasn’t Lee.

  “I thought I might find you here,” Gary said, resting his elbows on the table. He looked her over as if he had the right to look her over. “Are you moonlighting? Not enough work at the café?”

  Rachel was sure her mouth was opening and closing as if she were a hand puppet the ventriloquist had forgotten to give a voice.

  He wasn’t supposed to be here. He wasn’t supposed to be sitting next to her or talking to her. Heck, he wasn’t supposed to break her heart, or drive her crazy, or stir up all sorts of emotions she thought she’d gotten rid of.

  Rachel made zero attempt at politeness. “Go away.”

  She faced away from him, her gaze landing on the wall again, her gaze fixating on the teeny hole. The teeny flaw in the otherwise pristine paint job.

  Gary chuckled, the sound more annoying than usual. “Well now, that’s not very friendly.”

  Oh, no. That bullshit pushed her right out of her Zen-like numbness. She whirled on him. “I don’t usually try to be friendly with people who have proven themselves assholes.”

  She rose to her feet and grabbed her purse, intending to track Lee down.

  Gary caught her wrist in his hand. “Don’t run off. I need to talk to you. I’m serious, I came here to
see you—”

  “If you want to keep breathing without inhaling teeth, get your hand off her.” Lee’s deep voice was soft, but his anger clearly showed as he stepped beside her and glared daggers at Gary.

  Maybe it was foolish, but having Lee there made a huge difference. She leaned against his chest, the warmth of his body and the power of his solid mass giving her an anchor.

  Gary let her go the instant Lee spoke, but he too stood, glaring angrily, trying for some kind of face-saving move. “Don’t boss me around, boy.”

  “Then I’ll do the bossing,” Rachel offered. “Don’t touch me again. Ever.”

  “I was just—”

  “Just nothing,” Rachel snapped. “You lost all right to just anything when you broke our vows. I don’t care what you want to ask me. Do it through my lawyer.”

  She twisted her back on her ex-husband, glancing up into Lee’s face.

  He responded with careful tenderness even while keeping an eye on the man standing beside them.

  “You’re not welcome here,” Lee said pointedly.

  “Don’t you dare try anything,” Gary barked even as he stepped back warily

  “You’re not worth the energy.”

  It made Rachel childishly happy to see Gary move well out of their way as Lee escorted her toward the door.

  “Come on,” he told her as he helped her into her coat, and they headed into the parking lot. “I’ve had enough of Traders for the night.”

  She was still mixed up. Still not sure what the sensation in her belly was telling her, but she completely agreed with one point. “He isn’t worth the energy. He’s really not. I was just surprised to see him. I’m not upset or anything. Not really.”

  But she curled against Lee’s side and thought about it on the way home. Silence stretched between them while music—real music, thank God—beat through the truck cab. The entire trip she attempted to figure out what was bothering her so much.

  Lee opened the driver’s door and slid out, pulling her after him.

  “Was he there with someone?” she asked.