After reaching the top of one hill, the trail took them over a wooden bridge and into a meadow, the sound of the rushing stream following them for a while. Soon, they reached an old wooden structure, remnants from the days when the site was an active mine. They looked around for a minute, Teagan imagining old miners working there and trying to survive winter in the Rockies.
The way back to camp was downhill and much easier, and when they reached the campground, Hannah’s long thin body was stretched out in a hammock she’d strung between two trees. She was still in her running shorts and tech tee. She smiled and jumped up, hugging both of them.
That night, the three of them ate dinner, drank wine, and sat by the fire, toasting marshmallows and catching up. Teagan was amazed at how easily they all fit together as friends, even after fifteen years, and she wondered why they didn’t do this more often. The next day, Hannah went for another trail run while Diana led Teagan on another mountain bike ride. In the afternoon, Diana suggested they go into town and get a nice dinner.
Hannah drove them into Palisade, a small town outside Grand Junction that was known for its many wineries. They ate a good meal, Hannah scarfing down more than Teagan or Diana—which was saying a lot—and made their way over to the local watering hole for a drink.
The bar had wood floors and wood-paneled walls and lots of western flare. It wasn’t long before Diana recognized a couple of men she knew and went over to say hello.
Hannah looked at Teagan. “Is there anyone on the Western Slope that Diana doesn’t know? Anyone at all?”
Teagan laughed. “I don’t think so.”
Soon, the two men—Josh and Miguel, both from Diana’s school district—joined them. Josh, the one with the spiky hair and big brown eyes, sat down next to Teagan.
“What was your name again?” he said. “I couldn’t hear Diana over the noise in here.”
“Teagan.”
“Oh, Irish lass, huh?”
“In my spare time.”
He smiled at that. “Nice. So how do you know Diana?”
“She and I, and Hannah, went to college together. I live in Denver.”
“Wait. Are you the writer? The one who writes science fiction?”
“That’s me.”
Josh nodded, taking a swig of his beer. “I teach science, so I’m always pushing my students to read sci-fi. Makes ‘em smarter.”
She giggled. “A good philosophy.”
“What got you into writing sci-fi?”
“I’ve always loved it. I’m kind of a Trekkie, and I teach science, too. College, though.”
His eyes widened. “Holy shit. I’m a Trekkie too,” he added in a lowered voice. “A closet Trekkie. Everyone always gave me shit about it, and here you are advertising it to a complete stranger, and with no shame.”
“Say it loud, Josh. Be proud of your nerd-dom.”
He scoffed. “Easy for you to say. Nerd girls are hot, especially when they’re, you know, hot,” he added, giving her a quick onceover. “Nerd guys… not so much.”
“You’re willing to flirt that boldly, but you won’t admit that you dig Captain Kirk?”
He shrugged. “I’m more of a Picard man, myself. And telling a woman she’s attractive may get me a dance, whereas telling her I watch Star Trek probably won’t.”
She laughed again. “I don’t dance. But if I did, I think that would work.”
“See what I mean?”
The five of them sat there for a couple of hours, laughing and talking. The guys couldn’t get any takers for a little western dancing, given that their only hope was Diana, who Teagan knew didn’t feel comfortable dancing with other men when she had a boyfriend. When the evening ended, everyone shook hands and said their goodbyes.
On the way back to camp, Diana turned and eyed Teagan with a suggestive smile. “Looks like you and Josh hit it off.”
“He was a lot of fun,” Teagan admitted. “Wait, you didn’t set that up, did you?”
“No!” she cried. “I swear. But he asked for your email address. I told him you don’t do LDRs or assholes, and he said he doesn’t either. Plus, I’ve known him for years. He’s a great guy. I think he’d like to at least stay in touch.”
Teagan sighed. What was the point? She liked him and he was cute… but she didn’t feel that thing. That chemistry. Then again, she’d felt that with Aaron, and even Shawn, and look where it got her. And, the thought of dating didn’t make her want to heave as much as it used to…. “Why not? Give him my email. But I can’t promise you anything.”
“That’s okay.”
“What about me?” Hannah said in mock indignation as she drove.
Diana laughed. “We’ll find you one, sweetie. We’ll find you a nice boy who spends all his time working and won’t trigger your massive fear of commitment.”
Teagan laughed at that.
Hannah shook her head. “I had to be friends with a fucking psychologist.”
Josh did email her. Emails led to occasional phone calls. After a few months, they’d settled into a friendship. Teagan liked Josh’s quick wit and his appreciation for science. And he was just goofy enough to be a great science teacher.
“How’s Denver?” he said on one sunny October day.
“Nice. At least I think it is. I haven’t been outside much. How’s school?”
“Oh, you know. Lots of middle school angst. I have Diana’s boyfriend’s son, the older one, in one of my classes. He’s a good kid.”
“How cute! Glad he’s a good one. I’ve only met Matthew briefly.”
“He seems alright. Diana’s a little out of his league, though.”
Teagan laughed. “You’re bad. I thought he was cute.”
“Maybe. But he’s kind of… conservative.”
“She is too.”
“Yeah, on the outside, maybe…. Anyway, how’s the writing coming? Kill off any sand-dwelling aliens today?”
“No. But I did write an alien sex scene.”
“Ooh, even better. I like me some alien love. A few tentacles here and there, or maybe some kind of mind meld where they just fuck each other telepathically…”
Teagan giggled. “You are bad.”
“I know. How are the first two books in the series doing?”
The beta readers had liked Suns of the Desert, which thrilled her. They loved Jaden, the bad-boy pilot, and they liked the happy ending. Just like Hannah predicted. They had a few suggestions, including making the hapless jerk warrior’s death even more brutal. It was almost as if they knew she’d based him on Shawn. She’d published it, and then published the second one last month. “They’re doing good. No bestseller lists or anything, but they’re selling. Anything new at work?”
“I have a good batch of kids this year, although some of them are pretty troubled. One came in with a bruised face and the usual ‘I fell’ excuses. I sent him off to Diana and it looks like we’ll have to file a report.”
“Wow. That’s sad. I don’t have to deal with anything like that. I have hungover students, students who don’t care, students with learning issues… but they’ve usually left the evils of childhood behind.”
“Well, teaching ain’t for sissies.”
She laughed. “That’s for sure.”
“Hey,” he said, switching topics. “I’m thinking about heading to the mountains to ski in January, over Martin Luther King weekend. It’s not for sure yet, but if I go, what do you think about meeting up for some skiing?”
Teagan hesitated. Skiing? With Josh? Then she thought, why not? “That could be fun. Keep me posted on your plans when they get closer.”
After they hung up, she got on Amazon to check her sales rank for Suns of the Desert. When she found it, she blinked a couple of times. It had hit the Top 1000. Far higher than any of her other books had ever been. Teagan let out a whoop.
Then she pressed her lips together. It was too soon to get excited. Most spikes were just that, temporary anomalies that returned to their usual levels
just as quickly. She shut down her computer and went to make dinner.
When November rolled around, Teagan gawked at her book sales for Suns of the Desert and its follow-up. They’d gone nuts, maintaining the already impressive levels she’d witnessed in October.
She glanced outside at her little redbud tree, its leaves gone until springtime. When had they turned color and dropped? She’d missed it. She hadn’t been outside in two months, other than to teach. She’d spent her spare time writing the third book in the series, to meet reader demand. The demand she still couldn’t believe, that had allowed her to pay off the rest of her debt and stash away a decent amount of money.
She’d been in regular contact with Josh as well. They’d cemented their plans to ski Beaver Creek in January, and she got the feeling that Josh hoped the trip would take a more romantic turn. Teagan had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, Josh was her people. He loved science and had just the right amount of nerd in him. He was cute, too, and he’d proven himself to be a good guy with no asshole tendencies or hidden ex-wives. But on the other hand, besides him living four hours away, she wasn’t sure she wanted more. And without seeing him in person all those months, or testing out the chemistry with a kiss or two, she had no way of finding out. So she agreed to go and see what happened. She had to at least try. It was time for her to suck it up and get out there again.
Teagan heard the beep of a new email. It was from Albuquerque Comic Con. They’d invited her to the convention—not as an exhibitor, but as a “special guest.” They would cover her hotel cost and provide a transportation stipend. She would have her own table to sign books in person, and would sit on several panels, including one about women who write science fiction. Teagan let out a whoop.
She was invited to be a special guest at comic con! Something that only happened to accomplished authors!
She checked the dates. The convention was in January, before she’d meet Josh in Beaver Creek and just before spring semester began. It would be hectic, but she could swing it.
Teagan hit reply and said yes.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Teagan pulled up to her hotel in Albuquerque. She’d gotten there later than she’d hoped, thanks to a storm that followed her from Denver to Pueblo and added nearly three hours to her drive.
She wondered at the wisdom of holding a comic convention in January, at least in a cold place like Albuquerque. Yet, even the tricky drive couldn’t dampen her excitement at her first con invitation, knowing that others would eventually follow. Plus, better to be stuck inside for three days in the doldrums of January than during summer.
Teagan checked in to her hotel, loaded up her portable dolly with boxes, and began her first trip to the convention center. The check-in line was long by that time, so Teagan pulled out her phone and got on Facebook. Diana had posted a picture of herself with Matthew, her kissing his cheek while he looked embarrassed. Hannah posted a pic of herself and some friends in their ski clothes, holding up their beers after a day of skiing the cross-country trails.
“Can I help you?” said the woman working the desk.
“Hello. Teagan McAlister, checking in.”
The woman looked through her printed sheets of names. “Yes. Here you are.” She handed Teagan a pile of papers. “Here’s where to submit for reimbursement for your hotel, and here is your badge and schedule of appearances. If you have any questions, contact me, Shannon. My number is on the bottom there. From here, you’ll go down the hall and to the right to set up your table. You’ll see the other guests there.”
Teagan thanked her and headed to set up. Right away she recognized Lucia, the fantasy author who’d sat next to her at Tucson Comic Con.
“Hey!” Lucia said. “You’re my neighbor from Phoenix Comic Con!”
“Almost. Tucson Comic Con.”
“Tucson? That was a year and a half ago! Has it been that long?”
“I know, right?” Teagan shook her head at how much time had passed since that trip. She quickly shooed away reminders of Aaron.
“I almost didn’t recognize you,” Lucia said. “Your hair isn’t pink anymore. And it’s longer now.”
Teagan shrugged. “Sometimes you need a change…”
“Totally.”
Teagan finished setting up and asked Lucia to take a picture of her as she pointed to her “special guest” sign. She posted it on Facebook and said, “Yeah. Special Guest, bitches!” with a smiley face. Finally, she chatted briefly with the other guests before grabbing some dinner to take back to her room. She was tired and had three big days ahead.
Her phone beeped. It was a text from Josh.
JD: You get there okay?
TM: I did! Just finished setting up. I’ll call you later.
JD: Cool. Have fun.
Teagan woke up Friday morning and checked her Amazon rankings first thing. She’d done a promotion for the second book in her Desert Suns series, and sales had spiked. More reviews had come in, mostly with praise and begging for Book 3, which she’d spent her entire holiday break working on. Teagan shook her head in disbelief, grateful but still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She grabbed a latte and an egg-and-cheese sandwich before working on her book for a while. That was the cool thing about being a Special Guest—capital S, capital G—she didn’t have to sit there all day, waiting for a sale. Now, she could take her time and arrive when she was scheduled to speak on a panel or sit at her table to greet readers and sign books.
Once she got to the convention center, the day whizzed by. After her panel about female sci-fi writers, a rush of readers came to her table. Some were new readers wanting to meet her and buy her books, others had read her stuff and wanted her to sign a book or answer a question, while others wanted to chat about their own budding writing careers.
“Your hair!” one young woman with dark curls exclaimed. “It’s not pink anymore!”
“I needed a change,” Teagan said, unable to offer any other explanation, mostly because she didn’t know why she’d changed it.
“I liked it pink! But it’s pretty this way, too. I changed my major, you know. To biology, from business.”
Teagan grinned. “Good for you!”
“You used to teach biology, right?”
“I still do. Up in Denver.”
The young woman looked through the book display and selected two. “These are the ones I’ve been waiting to buy from you in person. Will you sign them?”
“Of course!” Teagan leaned over and opened one of the covers. “What’s your name?”
“Amanda.”
Teagan signed the books and swiped Amanda’s credit card. “I’m giving you a student discount,” she said with a wink.
“Thank you!”
“Good to meet you, Amanda. Keep studying…” she added, waving as the curly-haired student wandered off into the crowd.
Saturday was a blur. When Teagan arrived at her table, a small crowd awaited her. Between selling books, signing books, talking with readers, and being in and out of panels, she’d forgotten about lunch. By Saturday night, she was happy but tired. Nevertheless, she ignored her fatigue and attended the costume party that evening. She had no costume, but she had plenty of fun taking pics with the con attendees and chatting with other authors. The costumes were amazing—Harley Quinn and Deadpool and Star Trek uniforms and even a giant Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. They paraded around in merriment and showed off for contests and, over the evening, took off their cloying masks and went crazy.
Teagan had a few drinks and stuck around far longer than she’d planned before she finally headed back to her hotel. It was dark and really cold out, but the chilly air refreshed her after such a long day. The streets and sidewalks had been plowed and shoveled, and were free of snow and lingering ice. As she walked, a white Chevy truck drove by. She stuck her tongue out at it, giggling a little. It was the first one she’d noticed in months.
Sunday, she slept in late. The con didn’t ne
ed her until noon, allowing her time to lounge and relax before she had to return to the convention center. That day lacked Saturday’s craziness but was still quite busy. Teagan had no panels and was only scheduled to sit among her fellow special guests, selling books and chatting with readers. She lingered at her table for longer than she needed to, enjoying herself too much to think about the long drive home or a new batch of college students.
When Teagan noticed that her stacks of books had dwindled, she ducked under her table to root through her boxes and replenish her stores. From under the table, she saw feet approach. She grabbed a stack and came up for air, ready to greet another reader. Then she froze.
There, standing right in front of her, was Aaron.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Teagan stared at Aaron’s handsome face, her stomach flipping upside-down and then back again.
Holy fucking shit.
A moment of dizziness came over her, and suddenly she understood why women in old movies would faint when anything shocking happened.
He looked mostly the same. Tightly cut blond hair. Serious expression. Muscular underneath his long-sleeved waffle shirt. But something looked different about him. Something she couldn’t put her finger on.
“What are you doing here?” she said, before she could censor herself.
Aaron hesitated at her unfriendly greeting, his own stoic expression cracking just a little as he blinked a couple of times. Finally, he held up a plastic bag with an art print inside. “Collecting more Captain America art.” He offered up a half-smile, a half-smile that made him look more vulnerable than she’d ever seen him look.
Teagan glanced at the art, a sudden rush of feelings flooding her. Surprise at how handsome he still was. Compassion for how nervous he looked. Fear that he still had a powerful effect on her, after all that time. Aaron removed the print from its bag so she could see it better. A new Captain America, different from his first one, rendered by a graphic artist with a distinct style that used only primary colors.
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