by Zoe Dawson
“Guess you don’t see many goats in New York City.”
“No. We don’t, and we like it that way.”
That started Anzu off again.
Chapter 8
As Rafferty strode with Eden and Anzu toward the town hall, she saw Trace and Cadie walking on the opposite side of the street. She glanced over at him and her throat tightened when the blond woman from the garage caught up to him and slipped her arm through his. He smiled down at her and Rafferty’s stomach dropped.
Rafferty got distracted as it looked like Eden was searching for someone.
“You expecting someone?”
She looked startled. “Ah, no.”
After the way he’d touched her and treated her yesterday, she felt wistful. She knew starting something would be stupid, but she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of disappointment. Sean’s betrayal was a year ago. She knew she didn’t want to go through anything like that again, and it made her wary.
She avoided looking at him and sent her eyes forward, thinking their special connection at the inn had to have been her imagination. It didn’t matter, she told herself, even as she remembered the gentle way he’d slid his knuckles along her jaw. Trace was cemented to this town, dug as deep as a fence post, the main support for his family. She was going back to New York. Of course, that was the plan all along. She didn’t belong here, where goats roamed the town, the people knew you by name, and inns came with their own private rainbows.
She was just passing through, and there wasn’t, hadn’t been, any kind of future for them. What he did with other women was so not her business.
She thought again how the town hall could use some sprucing up. A bond in town would help with maintenance. A few repairs here and there would go a long way. But, again, that wasn’t any of her concern. She was here to make a business deal, and she needed to focus on that.
So why couldn’t she stop thinking about Trace, and why, oh, why had she tempted his wrath with the tablet she’d bought for Harley after her trip to Kalispell yesterday?
She climbed the slate steps and entered the building. The mayor’s office was upstairs, separated by a beautiful four-sided atrium. The other offices housed there were sheriff, fire, courts and legal, and recreation—parks and pool, public works, building inspection and code enforcement, and planning and zoning. Finance was straight ahead with counters to serve people.
The courtroom was to the left and the flow of people turned right into the large meeting hall and started to take up their seats. Clem stood, waved, and settled next to her with Anzu on her right and Eden on the end.
“It’s good to see you,” Clem said. “How are you enjoying your stay?”
“Going great. Saw that beautiful inn near the falls.”
“Oh, I love that place, The setting is perfect for a spa, don’t you think?”
“So perfect.”
“I was wondering if you’d like to visit me tomorrow, see my operation, have some lunch. Does that work?”
“Yes, that sounds wonderful. I would love to. Rafferty typed Clem’s address into her phone as she dictated it. Rafferty then got momentarily distracted as Trace, Cadie, and his blond shadow filed into the seats in front of them.
Cadie turned around and said, “How are you settling in at Dr. Hudson’s?”
“Just fine. It’s been very relaxing.”
“With one exception.” Anzu smirked.
Rafferty elbowed the teenager and she covered her mouth.
“Oh no,” Cadie said, looking between them. “What happened?”
She noticed that even though the blonde was talking Trace’s ear off, he had his head tilted toward their conversation.
“Rafferty met Winston, and it wasn’t love at first sight.”
Cadie chuckled along with Clem. “Tell me all about it.”
Anzu relayed the story, and Rafferty good-naturedly took their ribbing. She caught Trace’s bemused smile.
“Can I have your attention,” Trinity Gill said, starting the meeting.
Cadie was forced to turn around, but she whipped back and addressed Anzu. “Thanks for sharing. You looked cool in school today, by the way.” Anzu flushed, and then Cadie met Rafferty’s eyes. “Can I talk to you after the meeting? I want to ask you something.”
“Of course,” Rafferty said. Even though Trace glanced at her, she pointedly kept her eyes either on his sister or the mayor. Trinity went through the reports from each of her departments. “Now that all new business is handled, we’ll be continuing our discussion on homecoming. Trace Black will be supervising the decorations for Main Street, Trace.”
Trace stood and said, “Yes, ma’am. I have organized a crew to work on getting the decorations up on the designated streets along the parade route. The decorations are ready to be assembled, and those should be ready in time for hanging.”
“Thank you, Trace. At this point, we’re in pretty good shape on the parade. The students are busy working on their floats. Sheriff Buck has laid out the route. Marshall?”
She motioned to a middle-aged man in the front row with dark hair and dressed in a khaki uniform, and he stood, speaking in a deep voice. “Laurel Falls High School will hold their annual homecoming parade from three to four the week after next on Saturday. The parade will include the homecoming king and queen and their court, LFHS marching band, floats created by student committees representing student groups and grade levels, student athletic teams, and a variety of special guests and Laurel Falls School District administrators. The court will also be introduced during the LFHS boys’ varsity football game against Columbia High School.
“The parade will start at three in the afternoon at LFHS and proceed to Sage Street at Morton. It will turn west on Summit, heading to Vine. North to…”
Rafferty tuned out as Trace’s cell buzzed and he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He talked for a few minutes, his mouth tense, leaned over to Cadie, and whispered to her. She stiffened, but he put his hand on her arm. Her heart contracted. It must be about Harley. Rafferty wasn’t the only one watching Trace. Anzu noticed, too, that dull ache returned to her eyes full force. The blonde sitting next to Trace talked to him, but he shook his head.
She felt a terrible compulsion to get up and go with him, but that would only make things worse. Wouldn’t it? She made a special trip to Kalispell yesterday to pick up a tablet for Harley and loaded it up with the kind of puzzles she thought he would like. She’d stopped by a couple of times to see him, really liked him and his cute humor, but he was cooped up in that room with just a TV. She remembered when she’d been laid up with a broken ankle how those puzzles had saved her life. She even put the Angry Birds app on it for him. It was in her purse.
Unable to sit still, she rose, too, about ten minutes after Trace left. She waved to Clem, excited about visiting her bee operation the next day. Clem waved back, concern on her face. Rafferty nodded. Eden squeezed her hand as she passed.
As she exited the town hall, she had second thoughts. He’d been so confrontational the last time she’d inadvertently witnessed Harley’s episode. How would he react if she just walked up and knocked? She was thinking about Harley and his welfare. Give him something to occupy his mind, help him through his trauma. Focus on something other than the four walls of his room. It would help, she thought, if he could get some fresh air.
She squared her shoulders and headed across town. When she reached the Black residence, Reese was just leaving.
“Oh, hi, Rafferty. You here to see Trace?”
“Yes, sorta. More Harley. I have something for him.”
“Is that so?” he said, his voice husky. “That’s kind of you.” His handsome face looked haggard. “He had a panic attack, but is all calmed down now. You up for that?”
“I sure am.”
He smiled warmly and she still couldn’t quite peg the Black’s oldest sibling. An enigma for sure. Stalwart, funny, and a firefighter. “I’m heading over to the town hall to make sure Trace doesn�
�t miss anything. Go on in. My brother’s room is the next to the last one on the left as you go down the hall.”
Reese held the door for her, and she stepped inside as he let the screen door slam and went down the stairs toward the center of town.
“Is Eden there?” he asked.
“Yes, about the middle of the room, right behind your sister.”
She closed the front door and followed his directions. She marveled again at the neatness of the living room with its overstuffed furniture looking very comfortable in brown and green tones. She smiled at the requisite wide-screen TV, something men had to have to watch sports. The kitchen was just as spotless, the aroma of something delectable still hung in the air.
As she rounded the corner into the hall, the floorboards squeaking slightly beneath her feet, she approached Harley’s door. It was ajar and the light was on. As she entered the doorway, she saw him on his bed, his eyes open and staring into the darkness. Trace wasn’t there.
When he heard a sound, he started, but when he saw her, he gave her a big smile. “Hello, Rafferty.”
“Hello, Harley. How are you feeling?”
“Bad patch, a little shaky.” He shrugged.
She squeezed his hand. “Where’s Trace?”
“I’m not sure. He went to his room to change, but he’s not back.”
“Do you mind if I sit for a bit and talk to you?”
His smile was soft. “Not at all. All I’ve seen are my brothers’ ugly mugs for longer than I can count and my sister. So, a pretty face works for me.”
She returned his smile. “I got you something. I know what it’s like to be stuck in bed. I broke my ankle on a camping trip a few years ago, and it wasn’t fun.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the tablet. His eyes lit up.
After she turned it on, she handed it to him. “I’ve loaded it with apps. Have you ever played Angry Birds?”
“No.”
“It’s kind of stuffy in here. Would you like to go out to the back porch and sit for a bit?”
He looked at her with a conspiratorial look in his eyes. “Is this a prison break?”
“Yeah, looks like the warden might have fallen asleep. What do you say?”
The light dimmed. “I haven’t been outside in a while. I don’t know…”
He looked a bit freaked out. “I’ll be with you and it’s just the porch. Should be fine, right?”
“Should be,” he said.
“Do you need any help?”
“Nope, the drugs are kicking in good, and my side is better. Doc E is really good at the sutures.”
She rose as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood. He swayed a bit, and she couldn’t help reaching out and steadying him.
“Trace mentioned that you were staying at Doc E’s. How is Anzu? I hope I didn’t scare her too badly.”
“She’s worried about you.”
“I wish they would stop trying to protect her. She’s a tough kid. I’ve told Trace to let her come and see me when she wants to, but now I think he’s worried I’ll crack again.”
“Are you worried about that?”
“A little. I don’t like scaring teenage girls,” he said.
She helped him into a jacket and boots, opening up the back door and ushering him outside. He looked around, hypervigilant, and she let him take his time. Finally, he settled in a rocker, and she dragged one closer to him before she sat, too.
“Why are you doing this? You sweet on Trace?”
Her head jerked up and she almost dropped the tablet. “Ah…no, I just wanted to help you.”
“Sure, okay. But most girls are sweet on Trace.”
“Yeah, I’m aware, but you’re no stepping stone, Harley. If I’m interested in a man, I say so. I don’t hedge my bets.”
He chuckled. “He’s a girl magnet. Always has been. He doesn’t even have to try hard.”
“I bet you don’t, either. You have heartbreaker written all over you.”
“Ha. That’s good. No, really, I’m a one-girl kinda guy.”
“And your brother isn’t?”
“Sure, he is. He just won’t admit it and he hasn’t found that one person yet. I want to be there with a big bucket of popcorn when he does fall.”
She laughed. “That will be entertaining.”
“Yes. Anyway, I don’t like to play games. It’s not fun for either person. Just say what you feel is the policy, I think. I’m not a saint, though,” he added, waggling his brows. “I am a marine and the uniform does attract plenty of women.”
She laughed. “There’s something to be said for that.”
“Let’s see this thing.”
She set it in his hands. “What’s Sudoku?” he said, peering at the shortcut.
“It’s a logic-based number-placement puzzle.”
“I was pretty good at math in high school. How does it work?”
“It’s a nine-by-nine grid with three-by-three regions for classic, but that can change.”
“It’s Japanese, right?”
“Yes. You can only use the numbers one to nine once in each horizontal line, vertical line, and square. Give it a try.”
—
Trace jerked awake and swore. He’d literally sat down for just a minute to take off his boots and change out of his dress pants. How could he have abandoned Harley like that? In a panic, he jumped off the bed and raced down the hall. To his horror, Harley wasn’t in his room. Frantic, he was about to call the police, thinking his brother had somehow run off, when he heard loud, carefree laughter from the back porch. Harley’s and…his head came up and his heart squeezed, rolled over, and melted all at once. Rafferty’s.
Then he realized. She had his brother outside? What the hell was she thinking? He strode to the back door and almost ripped it off its hinges before he got control of himself. The laughter exploded again and the sound of his brother’s mirth made Trace’s chest tight. In all the time he’d been home, it was the first time he’d heard that from him.
He took a deep breath. Damned if he would ruin this, damned if he would be the reason it stopped. He opened the door and stepped outside as quietly as he could. Rafferty was leaning over him, and Harley had a tablet in his hand. He was still laughing.
“Okay, you have it this time. Use one of your eagles now.”
“Woohoo. Got ’im!” He high-fived Rafferty and she pumped her fist.
“You are a pro. I think I created a monster.”
“Sounds like you have,” Trace said wryly.
Harley smiled when he saw Trace. “Hey, why didn’t you tell me about this game? Rafferty got me puzzles and stuff.”
“She did?”
“Yeah, it’s really cool. We’ll have to play sometime. Have a competition.”
“We will. I’ll kick your ass.” Harley laughed. “It’s getting late,” he said. “We’d better get you situated.”
“I am getting tired.” He turned to Rafferty. “This was great. Thanks for coming by. Rematch?”
“You bet.”
She high-fived him again and as they rose, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed. “Good night,” she said.
Harley hobbled into the house and she picked up her purse, sliding it over her shoulder. Trace pointed at her. “Don’t you dare leave.” He narrowed his eyes for emphasis, and she swallowed and got that sassy blue fire sparking. God, he shouldn’t love that, but he did. Just the thought of talking to this woman had him on edge. She was addictive.
She followed him into the house as he got Harley into bed and gave him his medicine. “Don’t go giving her that thunderous look. I know you are worried about me going outside, but the air is so fresh and clean, and the wind felt good on my face.”
“It’s too cold out.”
“Naw, it was fine. Don’t yell at her, Trace.”
“I’m not going to yell. Geez, Harley. I’m not an ogre.”
“Sometimes you look like one when you argue with Reese about
me.”
“You heard us?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “I’ve got a bullet wound and PTSD. I’m not deaf.”
“Oh, man.”
“Don’t get your chaps in a twist. I don’t want to go anywhere. Just want to be here. Is that okay?”
“It’s fine,” he said gruffly, trying to keep his shit together.
Softly, Harley said, “She’s really nice for a city gal, huh?”
“Yeah, she’s one of a kind.” And so different from what he had expected. But, if he took the steps he’d wanted to take with her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her, he would have to accept that it would be something completely temporary. He laughed to himself. Temporary? That’s what he had always been about. So why was this time any different? He couldn’t quite figure it out. This should be a no-brainer. He was attracted to her, damn, he was so attracted to her. She was attracted to him. There was no doubt about that. She would be leaving town in a matter of days when her parts arrived. Yet, he couldn’t seem to get past the resistance pushing against his breastbone. Could it be because she was wealthy? What role did that really play in their relationship? Zero. Less than zero. He wasn’t going to repeat the mistakes his father had made and fall for a woman who wouldn’t be happy in this small town. Would have a bunch of kids and then decide that’s not what she wanted and take off.
“You sweet on her?”
His heart flipped over. “Mind your own business, nosy,” he growled. Maybe that’s what this was all about. He was sweet on her, even as he wanted her.
“Yes, sir,” he said and turned over. “But I think you are.”
“Go to sleep.”
He turned off the light and closed the door. Without a word he found her in the living room, grabbed her arm, and dragged her down the hall and into his room.
She stopped short of his bed and his whole body went on hot alert, twitching. He didn’t want to think about Rafferty and bed in the same sentence.
She looked up at the ceiling and heaved a weary sigh, as if she was silently saying Not again. She expected another lecture and her next words solidified it.