Shrugging into her favorite jacket, Jill grabbed her phone and her small Denali canvas backpack off the floor and left her room, closing the door behind her and locking it with a soft click. She tiptoed down the two flights of stairs and into the large kitchen, work boots in hand.
Somehow, the mysterious Rose had modernized the whole inn without sacrificing its historical charm and integrity. The process couldn’t have been an easy undertaking, especially when it came to the kitchen. Kitchens in the 1800s might as well have been kitchens of the Stone Age when compared to modern-day kitchens. And yet, Rose’s kitchen felt like a kitchen from the 1800s. Jill had noticed that all the older buildings in town had the same atmosphere of merging the contemporary with the historical. Every place felt like she had walked right into the 1800s, but she knew they all operated with modern efficiency.
The Twin Peaks Inn’s kitchen was long and wide, a perfect rectangle. The large wooden table she and Rose had sat at the first night here rested in the middle of the room. It had a rustic feel—Rose had mentioned it was made from the wood left over from an old barn on the property they’d had to tear down a few years back—and hand-carved, cushioned chairs lining its sides.
On one side of the table was a huge refrigerator and a long countertop that held a microwave, toaster oven, and space to prepare food. Pots and pans hung over the counter from a dark iron rack. On the other, an industrial sized stove with a copper hood and two double ovens. A massive porcelain apron sink was on the opposite wall to the door, and a stainless-steel dishwasher peeked out from under it. Above the sink, a window looked out on the red cliffs and sprawling valley surrounding them, as well as a large willow tree not too far from the house. To the left, a door opened into a mudroom which then led out to a porch and the backyard.
Jill had just entered the kitchen when the back door banged open and Rose stepped in carrying two obviously heavy pails. Jill rushed over to help her, taking one of the pails from her. It was full of milk.
Rose thanked her and motioned for her to place the pail on the counter. Jill watched curiously as Rose strained the milk and poured it into glass jars. When she placed the first jar in the fridge, she brought an already cold one out and sat it on the table before handing Jill a glass.
Jill poured the milk as Rose continued putting the jars away and took a careful sip. She had never had milk straight from a cow before, but she was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Rose had mentioned owning a healthy amount of livestock, which allowed her to prepare farm-to-table meals for her guests. It was a lucrative and healthy way to attract visitors, and Jill looked forward to partaking in the healthy lifestyle. Every day, she found more reasons to love this place.
Settling herself across the table from Jill, Rose poured herself a glass of milk. “When do you have to meet Janet?” she asked.
Janet was the park ranger who would take Jill to the hotspot areas in the neighboring national park and go over the safety concerns and legal restrictions Jill would have to relay to the guests.
“She called me last night to say she would pick me up at 6:30,” Jill answered. Rose had given Janet Jill’s number so they could work out a time to have the tour. Janet had said it would be best if they got an early start so they would have time for all the places she wanted to cover.
Rose glanced at the clock hanging above the back door. “You have about 30 minutes,” she murmured. “Let me whip you up some eggs before you leave.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Jill protested.
“Nonsense,” Rose replied. “I like to cook. Speaking of, I packed you and Janet a lunch.” She motioned toward the end of the counter where a small cooler rested on the floor.
“Thank you, Rose,” Jill mumbled, touched that Rose would care so much about her.
“We take care of each other out here,” Rose answered as if reading Jill’s mind.
Jill nodded and smiled.
Ten minutes later, Rose set a heaping plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of Jill, who dug into the breakfast.
“This tastes amazing,” Jill told Rose between mouthfuls of egg.
Rose grinned. “My mother taught me to cook, her mother taught her, and so on for hundreds of years. The family recipes have changed a little over the years, but the basics are all the same. The fresh ingredients help, too.”
“Whatever it is, I’m going to gain twenty pounds by the Fourth of July at this rate,” Jill answered, feeling a slight pang when she thought of the close relationship Rose must have had with her mother.
It wasn’t that her adoptive mother hadn’t loved her or even that she hadn’t spent time with her—Jill knew her mom loved her very much—but Amy Martin was, first and foremost, a scientist. Jill had few memories of her mom cooking at all, let alone teaching Jill how to cook. Jill’s maternal grandmother had passed away before Jill had been born, so there were no baking cookies with grandma memories either. Her dad’s mother was not the “baking cookies” type. She was more the “go to the country club and verbally abuse the servants” type.
“An extra twenty pounds wouldn’t hurt you,” Rose countered, gently pinching Jill’s cheek. “You’re skin and bones.”
Jill laughed. “I work as a wilderness expert. It burns a lot of calories.”
“I’ll remember that,” Rose promised with a grin.
Jill rolled her eyes as her phone beeped. It was a text from Janet. “Janet is here,” she said, pulling on her boots before placing her empty plate in the sink and picking up the heavy cooler and her backpack. “Thank you again for breakfast. And for lunch.”
Rose waved her away and out the back door. A small patch of gravel led off the parking lot in the front of the building, Janet’s park-owned truck pulled up on it, smoke billowing out of the exhaust pipe in the chilly March air. Janet hopped out of the parked truck and rushed over to help Jill with the cooler, placing it in the back seat of the large pickup. Jill opened the passenger door and turned to wave to Rose before hoisting herself into the seat.
Rose waved back from her spot by the backdoor, smiling at Jill’s youthful exuberance. It definitely seemed like the job would be a great fit for her. She already seemed to belong here.
Even Janet’s abbreviated tour took most of the day. She showed Jill the most popular tourists spots within the park, pointing out less popular ones from the truck as they drove by. Red cliffs and rock formations peppered the area, gleaming in the sun and leaving Jill feeling like she was in the desert rather than the mountains.
The views from the tops of those fiery cliffs were breathtaking. She could see valleys and mountains and everything in between for miles around. Jill thought of how those first settlers must have reacted to the sheer magnificence of it all, imagining how easy it must have been for those long-ago pioneers, and even for today’s residents, to have such undying faith in something bigger than them. If the universe had been just an accident, it was one hell of a fluke that anything should turn out so beautiful.
Jill had never thought much about religion, magic, or any forces outside explanation. Growing up with scientists, she was of a scientific mind when trying to explain the phenomena of this world. But, as she looked out across the valley that was her new home, Jill couldn’t help but believe that some things were beyond explanation.
The valley was half cloaked in darkness as the clouds warred with the sun above them, but she could still make out the buildings scattered across the green, brown, and red of the Utah ground. Everything looked tiny from here, like she was looking down at a model of her new home instead of the real thing. Her mind drifted back to those same pioneers who had created her home, to the faith they had shown by not only leaving behind their families and homes to travel out here, but by settling in a land that could be as harsh as it was bountiful.
She caught herself designating Springvale “home” over and over again, and she wondered how it had taken her only a few days to think of this small valley town as her own. She realized that she
did, however, undeniably feel that way. Maybe it was her Native blood that connected her to the land, maybe it was that she’d never quite fit in in North Carolina, or maybe it was just that everyone had been so kind to her, but Jill knew she would never want to leave. She was home.
Jill returned to the inn well past dinnertime. Sighing, she kicked off her muddy boots in the mudroom and wondered if she might find a snack in the pantry. Rose had mentioned she didn’t keep much in the way of pre-packaged food, so Jill’s snack-finding hopes weren’t high. She slipped into the kitchen and jumped at the sight of Rose sitting at the far end of the wooden table, her feet propped up on its polished surface.
She looked up from her newspaper and smiled at Jill. “I was wondering when you would get back.”
“Did you—were you waiting for me?” Jill stammered. Nobody had ever waited up for her to return home, not even her parents. Rose just continued smiling and stood up, pulling a steaming plate from the oven.
“I’m sure you’re starving,” she said. “You should eat before it gets cold.”
Jill slid into a chair and pulled the plate toward her. She lifted the tin foil curiously, delighted to find a heaping plate of chicken and potatoes. As Jill dug her fork into the potatoes, Rose also slid a plate of salad across the table.
Rose watched her eat for a moment, a small smile on her face. Then, casually, she said, “Roger called.”
Jill choked a little on her food.
Rose filled a glass with water from a metal pitcher on the counter and pushed it toward her.
Jill took a long drink. “What did he want?” she asked, coughing a little.
“My best guess,” Rose answered with a laugh, “is that he wants you.”
Jill blushed. “He told me he was working all week. I was going to call him tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to defend yourself to me, child,” Rose said, putting up her hands. “I’m just the messenger.”
“And I’m a pink-feathered chicken,” Jill muttered, her eyes narrowing.
Rose laughed and refilled Jill’s glass. “Cluck, cluck, darlin’,” she chuckled. “Now, finish up your relatives.”
Jill rolled her eyes as Rose winked, but with a smile on her face. Jill finished her dinner in silence and then set her plate in the sink. She stretched and yawned, exhaustion hitting her, and bid Rose good night.
To her surprise, Rose stood up and walked with Jill into the hallway, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “How was your day with Janet?”
“It was great,” Jill answered honestly. “We saw a lot of places, and Janet gave me a binder of papers to go through. She said it covered the relevant federal and local laws. I know the federal laws, of course, but it’s always good to review them. And I should familiarize myself a little more with the local park laws, too.”
Rose nodded. “Well, I’m glad you had a good time. I’m grateful to have you here.” She turned toward her bedroom, which was down the hall from Jill’s. “Don’t forget to call Roger back,” Rose added with a wink.
Jill gave her a bemused look before slipping into her own bedroom. She stripped out of her dirty clothes, throwing them in the hamper in the corner by the bathroom. After a quick rinse in the shower, she dug through her purse to find the napkin with Roger’s phone number. Grabbing her cell phone, she settled cross-legged onto her bed and dialed his number. The phone rang once, then twice.
“Hello?” Roger answered, his deep baritone sending a pleasant shiver through her.
She cleared her throat. “Roger? It’s Jill. From the diner.”
“Jill!” Roger responded enthusiastically. “I’m so glad you called. My schedule changed, and I was wondering if you wanted to meet up tomorrow. Rose mentioned you went with Janet into the park today, but I can still show you some lesser-known spots in the park… and around town if you want.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Jill said, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “Janet showed me as much as she could, but there wasn’t time to stop at every place.”
“How about I pick you up at seven in the morning and we can make a whole day of it?” Roger offered.
“Sounds great, Roger. Thank you.”
“Not a problem,” he said, and she could hear the grin in his voice. “See you in the morning.”
“Bye,” she said, hanging up the phone. A smile crept across her face. It had been a while since she had dated anyone, both because she hadn’t met anyone she was interested in and because she hadn’t had time for it. Even though it wasn’t technically a date tomorrow, she still let herself get excited to spend the day with a good-looking man like Roger. And who knew? Maybe they would hit it off and a date would come after. She flopped back on the bed, smile still in place.
Somehow Rose knew Jill was leaving early—or she was just always up at the crack of dawn—because when Jill padded down the stairs at 6:15 the next morning, Rose already had a steaming breakfast waiting for her. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, and toast fought for space on the plate. Jill sat down and eyed the large breakfast; she’d never really been a big breakfast eater.
“Are you trying to make me gain weight?” Jill asked suspiciously.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Rose said. “You were very active yesterday. You need to replenish your calories.”
Jill shrugged and took a bite of toast. “I guess you’re right,” she admitted after she’d finished chewing. “And Roger and I will be walking around all day today, too.”
“Ah, yes. I’m sure Roger will keep you very busy.” Rose waggled her eyebrows.
Jill had just taken a drink of milk, and she had to work very hard to keep from spewing it all over the table at Rose’s innuendo.
While she ate, Rose chatted with her about the goings-on in town. Only a few of the names she mentioned rang any bells, but Jill still enjoyed the stories. Rose had a talent for making even the most mundane interaction seem like it came from a soap opera.
Rose began a story about two local boys who had gotten trapped under a couple cows. They swore up and down to the sheriff they hadn’t been up to any mischief, but the sheriff knew cow tipping when he saw it. This particular time, the cows had gotten their revenge, falling on top of the two adolescents and bruising them up pretty good.
Jill was still laughing when a soft knock sounded on the back door. Jill popped out of her chair and rinsed her plate in the sink while Rose opened the door. Through the window, Jill could see Roger standing on the threshold with a small bouquet of daisies.
“Thought you would like these,” he said to Rose, handing the bouquet to her and winking at Jill as she walked into the mudroom.
Rose accepted the flowers with a bemused grin. “You are a shameless flatterer, Roger Mayer,” she said in a mock stern voice. “And yes, you can join us for dinner.”
Roger flashed her a grin and bowed his head in gratitude. Jill laughed as she pulled on her boots. Grabbing her backpack, she took two steps out the door before she stopped and spun around. She wrapped her arms around Rose in an impromptu hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered in Rose’s ear. “For everything.”
Rose tightened her arms around Jill for a moment, then released her. “Off with the two of you, now,” she said, sniffing a little. “And you better take good care of our girl here, Mr. Mayer,” she added, shaking her finger at him.
Roger touched his hand to his chest. “I’ll guard her with my life,” he said with mock-seriousness.
Rose rolled her eyes, and Roger led Jill to his pickup truck. He opened her door and helped her into the passenger seat before walking around the front of the truck, swinging into the driver’s seat, and pulling out of the small gravel driveway onto the main road.
“Good morning,” he said as they started down the road, flashing Jill a dazzling smile. His turquoise eyes bored into hers for just a second before he looked forward again.
“Good morning to you, too,” Jill answered, feeling hot despite the chilly morning air. She cleared her th
roat. “Where are we going first?”
“I thought I’d take you on a hike that will let us see a lot of the best sites only us locals know. The hike will take us up through the canyon, and we’ll end up pretty close to the top of the ski lift. We can travel down the lift instead of camping and hiking down the next morning, which is how most people do it.”
“How far is the bottom of the ski lift from where you’re leaving your truck?” Jill asked.
Roger shrugged. “A few miles, but Luke offered to give us a ride from the lift to my truck.”
Jill nodded. “Sounds like you have it all planned out.” To her chagrin, the mention of Luke’s name had sent her stomach into somersaults. Get a grip, she chastised herself. You don’t even know Luke. And you like Roger. You want to date Roger. Even if there is something about Luke…
“Jill?”
Jill shook her thoughts of Luke away, face reddening as she realized Roger had asked her a question. “I’m sorry,” she said, smiling apologetically. “What did you say?”
They fell into companionable conversation for the rest of the drive. Jill couldn’t remember the last time someone had made her feel so comfortable. A half hour later, Roger pulled into a vacant field and parked his truck. Jill hopped out and glanced around. They were at the edge of a jagged wall of red rock. A narrow path wound its way up the steep incline and then disappeared into the trees. Jill hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders and glanced at Roger, who held his hand out with a hesitant smile. Jill returned his smile and grasped his hand, letting him lead her toward the little path.
As they headed up the path, Jill’s legs began burning in that satisfying way that told her she was getting a good workout. When they finally reached the summit, Jill estimated they were a good 200 feet higher than where they started, confirming her suspicions of a steep climb. Looking out back the way they came, she could glimpse the town through a small grove of aspen and walnut trees. She turned to look at Roger and realized they were on a small shelf of the canyon that shot through the park. Roger beckoned her to follow him up the side of the canyon on a narrow walkway. There was a chain railing they could hold on to, and Jill grasped it as she leaned over the edge of the cliff. It shot straight down into what she first thought were bushes, but quickly realized were actually trees. They were a lot higher up than she had thought.
Destiny: AN MFM Romance Page 4