Timberline

by Skye McNeil

  »»•««

  Jessie gawked at the tiny airplane mirror and frowned at her reflection. Her once bouncy hair lost its curl somewhere around 30,000 feet. “Good thing my makeup is on point,” she said, unlatching the door on the lavatory. Fixing her hair was a lost cause.

  The pilot’s southern drawl came over the intercom, advising their descent into Denver. Jessie staggered through the narrow aisle and silently cursed. Had she been thinking ahead, she would have insisted Bridget reserve first class seats. Instead, she was crammed beside Mr. Smells-Like-Heaven the entire flight.

  Finding her seat at long last, she observed Asher leaning against the window, his eyes closed and his mouth open. How he could sleep on a plane was beyond her. She needed to stay alert in case the plane nose-dived. Careful not to wake the sleeping lumberjack of a man, Jessie resumed her position.

  Though Bridget insisted she deserved a work-free vacation, Jessie happened to sneak in two unedited versions of her clients’ manuscripts. Entertainment never slept which meant editing didn’t either. To her luck, Bridget had put these particular stories in binder form for easier revisions.

  Flipping to the page she’d stopped on, she set her mind on the deadline. She wouldn’t risk missing it. Her clients depended on her. Pen in hand, she began reading the story set in ancient Rome. Snore.

  Five minutes passed and she hadn’t moved from the page. Try as she might, Jessie couldn’t concentrate on the story. Her mind was too distracted by the upcoming week. When did she become so boring that all she did was worry? She missed the person she was five years ago. She was much more fun. Chicago changed her but not as much as New York City. The Colorado version of her was adventurous and vibrant compared to her quiet city life now.

  “I didn’t know you liked romance novels,” Asher declared, startling her.

  Slamming the binder shut, Jessie stuck it back into her oversized purse. “I don’t.”

  “Then why do you have one?” he asked with a toothy grin.

  Her eyes skittered across his face and pinpointed his dimple. They were a weakness of hers. Dimples and an accent and she was putty in their hands. Thankfully, Asher possessed one of the two. She didn’t want to join the mile-high club quite yet. “I’m borrowing it from a friend. She wants my thoughts on it.”

  An undiscernible expression flicked across his features, but vanished almost as fast. “How nice of you.”

  Jessie nodded and was glad the pilot cut into their conversation again, this time to thank them for choosing the airline. She clenched the seat as the plane touched down on Colorado turf. “The rental car place is attached to the airport,” she said when the plane berthed.

  “Is it a long drive to,” he paused, “to where are we going? I don’t remember if you told me the name of the town.”

  “Nathrop. It’s barely a town, but it’s in front of Mount Princeton, so the postal office is Nathrop. In truth, we’re going to a mountain community called Timberline. It’s a bit of a drive. Through mountains for the most part.”

  Asher packed the book she bought on a whim last night into his backpack. “Sweet. I love driving through the mountains,” he admitted, standing.

  “Oh, you’re not driving,” she told him. “I am. You have no clue where you’re going. GPS will only take you so far.”

  Asher handed her the bag she’d stashed away in the overhead container. “Are you always this controlling or am I the special one to experience it?”

  Jessie flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Both.” She jutted her chin to the front of the plane. “If you keep dawdling, we won’t get there before nightfall and I hate driving in the dark.”

  “Perfect, I’ll drive,” Asher called over his broad shoulder as he cut into the line to exit the plane. His act left her stuck in the seat while other passengers filed off past her.

  Tapping her foot in anger, Jessie waited until an older gentleman was kind enough to let her into the line, all the while glaring at the back of Asher’s head. Perhaps she spoke prematurely in her reverence for the stranger’s acceptance to her odd proposal. Asher Whitaker didn’t listen to a lick she said.

  “He better rein it in on the drive to Timberline or I’ll leave him stranded somewhere by mistake,” she muttered under her breath when she made it off the stuffy airplane. As expected, Asher stood waiting for her in the airport with a devilish smile on his face which showed off his damned dimple.

  Chapter Three

  Despite the banter in front of the car rental desk, Asher sat in the driver’s seat three hours later as they wove through the mountainous terrain. He snuck a glance to Jessie and saw she was no longer pouting in her seat. Her head was bent over the manuscript she attempted to pass off as a friend’s. He doubted it was the case, but he wouldn’t broach the subject. It would be followed by a question as to how he knew the specific author and her genre. Asher didn’t want to spoil the one thing she didn’t know about him. Well, maybe two things.

  He reviewed the GPS and turned right at the large billboard boasting about the Mount Princeton Hot Springs. A long foothill to their right was a perfect guide to the mountain itself if you couldn’t see the fourteener already. They whizzed by a ma and pop horseback riding business until they came to a big sign informing them of their entrance into San Isabel forest.

  Sneaking a side glance to Jessie, he saw the manuscript discarded as she gazed out the window when they neared the valley between the mountains. It was like driving into a whole new world.

  “Those are the Chalk Cliffs.” She pointed out farther down the road.

  He eyed the tall cliffs which resembled the color of chalk. “They’re gorgeous.” Large caverns dotted the cliffs from blasting of years past, adding to their splendor.

  “I always wanted to climb up there and see if there was anything in the caves,” she admitted as pine trees whipped by the car. Turning her head, Jessie offered him a smile. “Nervous yet?”

  Eyeing the GPS, he saw they were less than twenty minutes away. Though he was more excited than anything, he couldn’t deny the unknown. “Yeah, a little, but I think we’ll be great together.”

  Jessie offered him an odd glance and then turned to face forward. Since leaving the airport, she’d stuffed more pieces of gum in her mouth than he thought possible. She got sick in the mountains. At least, that was what she said after she turned green an hour outside of Denver. “There is a reason why I drive through the mountains,” she said after he stopped the car when she looked like a clammy fish. Upon seeing her change colors like a chameleon, he stopped and bought the largest pack of gum in the gas station and bottles of water. Since then, with a moody expression, she rode shotgun.

  The pavement ended ahead and he slowed before taking the right turn over the creek crossing. The country was incredible this deep in the mountains. He expected a cookie cutter resort for the infamous Davis cabin, but they passed those at the entry of Mount Princeton’s domain. They were headed into the heart of the mountain pass.

  Aspens lined the bumpy road and the midsized SUV rocked to and fro. Jessie’s body tensed as the road narrowed. She was a bit feisty when she wanted to be, but she seemed more concerned with the winding path.

  “We’re almost there, aren’t we?” he asked, keeping his eyes fixed ahead. No way two cars could fit on the road without danger lurking. As the trees obscured any possibility of looking ahead, each turn made him wary of what approached.

  Jessie cleared her throat as she packed away her secretive book. “Yeah, a few minutes left.” She fished out her phone, but only to check the screen. From a glimpse, he identified no new notifications on the device due to the mountain’s interference.

  Asher liked the idea of silence. No one calling or emailing him for an update. No trending news or memes with his face. Maybe after this he would find a cozy cabin in the mountains for a vacation home. It would bring out the inspiration of any cynic. “So, it’s Bobbi and Tommy getting married.”

  The woman beside him adjusted
the front of her shirt and he cracked a smile when she exposed a bit more cleavage. She had plenty to spare, but he liked her original display better. Less inconspicuous.

  “Yep. They’re the happy couple,” she returned in a voice identical to a robot.

  Asher let out a frustrated grunt and pulled the SUV to the far right at a turnaround. He was officially fed up with this diva. “Okay, here’s the thing,” he began, putting the car into park. “If we’re going to pretend to be a couple, I need a lot of cooperation from you. I can’t go along blindly with everything you say if we’re not on the same page.”

  Jessie sat, seemingly stunned at his outburst. “Oh,” was all she managed.

  Turning toward her, he asked, “How did we meet? They’re going to want to know. The location and rough date.”

  “The coffee shop,” she blurted. “It’s the truth. We’ll doctor it up a bit.”

  “Like by adding the tidbit of you running into me and spilling deplorable tea on me,” Asher said with a snap of his fingers.

  “Not what I had in mind, but it will work,” she agreed with reluctance.

  Asher bobbed his head. “Do we live together?”

  “No,” Jessie said without thinking it over. “Not yet. I don’t move in with anyone until we’re engaged. How about our first date?”

  Many ideas popped into his mind, but gathering the miniscule details about her, he offered, “Rizzoli Bookstore.”

  Her mouth dropped open in astonishment. “I love that store.”

  “Good. It’s perfect then.” He chuckled. “It reminds me of what I envision a closet in Beauty and the Beast would look like.” Asher was certain Jessie’s mouth hit the car floor at his statement, but he attempted to keep it to himself.

  “How long have we been dating? A few months?” she asked at long last.

  They both mulled over her question until they answered at the same time. “Ten months.”

  Jessie’s light laughter made his breath catch in his throat. The way her eyes lit up when she laughed was indescribable. Ten years wiped from her face and became the epitome of merry. If he could take a snapshot of the beauty she displayed, he would win every photography contest in the world.

  Leaning over the divider, Asher asked the one question caught in his mind since earlier in the morning. “And what about our first kiss? Where did it occur?”

  The carefree smile slid off Jessie’s face at his query. “They won’t ask. It’s too personal.”

  Pushing a curl free from her cheek, he moved closer yet. “Maybe not, but I am wondering.”

  His eyes dipped to her lips, and he didn’t allow her the opportunity to escape before gently pressing his mouth to hers. Her mint lip gloss tasted as good as it smelled. Jessie’s body froze at first, but when she gripped the front of his shirt and returned the kiss, his heart beat faster.

  Cupping her face with one hand, Asher pulled her to him so he could kiss her better. Taste her better. She let out a gasp and he chose the same instant to slip his tongue into her mouth. Dear Lord, the woman tasted like the center of a Warhead candy. She had a sour outer layer, but her insides were a sweet delight. His heart raced when Jessie tangled her tongue with his as she drifted her fingers through his short hair. From this one exchange, he would be more than content staying in the SUV the remainder of their five days.

  A quick and loud rap on the window pulled Asher out of his stupor. Glancing away from Jessie’s tantalizing lips, he met the eyes of three women sporting varying shades of blue.

  He flashed them a charming smile with precise quickness then whispered, “I take it they’re your family.”

  Jessie righted in her seat as embarrassment flooded across her face. “Shit! Yes, my mom, grandma, and sister.” She swallowed hard as she said the last one.

  Asher couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation. Rolling down his window, he greeted them with another dazzling grin. “Well, Jessie told me she had one sister, not three.”

  Each of the women giggled and flushed red. “And who might the man kissing my daughter be?” the woman in the middle demanded.

  Asher glanced at Jessie, but her face resembled ultimate mortification, so he held out his hand. “I had hoped to meet you under different circumstances, but now is as good as any. Asher Whitaker, ma’am. Nice to meet you.”

  “Ohh, I like him,” the oldest commented with a shake of her silver head. “He’s got a sexy dimple with that smile.”

  “Grandma!” Jessie shrieked from the other side of the vehicle.

  Ignoring her humiliation, Asher unlocked the doors. “Ladies, why don’t we give you a ride? I seemed to have gotten lost.” He shot a smile to Jessie. “It’s easy to do around her.”

  While Jessie closed her eyes and shook her head, the other three women sighed at his romantics. Yeah, he would have no problem convincing her family he liked Jessie. He winked at his passenger. Because he already felt his heart strings pull when it came to the mysterious woman beside him.

  »»•««

  Fresh pine filled the air of the vaulted ceiling cabin. No doubt her mother decorated with pinecones again, since they were found the instant anyone stepped outside the door. Jessie couldn’t remember a time when this cabin didn’t smell rustic yet inviting. She could bathe in the coniferous aroma and never tire of the way it swirled her memories of years past.

  Hearing her mother and grandmother chatter, Jessie picked up the rear of the group as she followed the entourage into the living room and placed her purse on the couch. The five-bedroom cabin built before she was conceived held the same aura as the last time she’d visited.

  “Wow, was it really nine years ago?” Seeing a photo framed on the table, she spied her twenty-year-old self and sighed. Yep, nine years.

  Bringing her attention to the gaggle of her kin, Jessie stood in awe at the display before her eyes. Asher managed to sway the Davis women after being caught with locked lips and had them eating out of his callused hands. It was too bad she hadn’t found him earlier. Asher navigated her suspicious mother and grandma like an expert racecar driver. It was then she recalled he had hinted at a knack for acting. She thought he was being facetious, but it seemed she was wrong on certain accounts.

  Watching him now, Jessie wished it was all genuine. Even if she wouldn’t admit it out loud, she wanted this camaraderie with a man. She needed someone who would pull over the car and kiss her senseless.

  Touching her fingers to her lips, she felt the residue of the ex-Army Ranger’s kiss sizzle despite the twenty minutes which had passed. His touch reverberated in her body despite the distance between them. The lingering residue made her wonder what other sensations he could produce.

  “Jess, I’m disappointed you didn’t tell us about Asher sooner,” Grandma Jane hounded, pulling her into the conversation.

  “I guess I wanted to keep him all to myself as long as possible,” she said with a smile. Meeting Asher’s forest-colored eyes, she added, “You all know I don’t share very well.”

  Her mother, Dawn, choked on the air while her grandma squeezed her hand. She wasn’t over Bobbi’s betrayal, and they might as well know it from the start of their reunion. Jessie lifted her left eyebrow and glanced at her sister. They hadn’t spoken yet, which was more than fine with her. She could go the entire trip without addressing Bobbi and feel no regret. Her sister met her gaze and offered her a warm smile, which Jessie dismissed in an instant.

  “Dawn, go check on the stew,” Grandma Jane remarked, cutting the awkwardness in the air. “I can smell it burning.” She nodded to her granddaughter. “Bobbi, come start on the biscuits. I’m sure the menfolk will be famished after not catching a damn thing all day.”

  The aging monarch swiveled to Asher. “Those two can’t catch trout to save a life.” She laughed at her tease and then asked, “Do you fish?”

  Jessie opened her lips to respond for him, but he surprised her when he answered. “I do, yes. My dad and I take annual fishing trips to Canada.”

&
nbsp; Grandma Jane clasped her hands together. “Wonderful. Maybe you can teach my son how to do it.”

  Asher squeezed her grandmother’s hand with care. “It would be my pleasure.”

  Snorting, Jessie was put off when her grandma grabbed her hand and united it with Asher’s as if in never-ending commitment. “You two are picture perfect. Now, I’ll show you where you’ll stay,” Grandma Jane said with a broad smile.

  Uneasy at the way Asher’s hand meshed with hers, Jessie dropped his hold once her grandmother turned her back to them. As her grandma gave Asher a history lesson on the Davis family cabin, she remained indifferent. A partial smile covered her lips when she heard the part about her late grandfather accidentally lighting the place on fire during construction. This was her favorite story of Carl Davis.

  Climbing the stairs, Jessie kept a safe distance from Asher. He smelled like books and Arabica coffee. Both scents made her miss her New York apartment.

  Raising her eyes up, she couldn’t deny her view at the moment was much more satisfying than the alleyway her apartment window overlooked. Asher in blue jeans was sinful. His body was the reason girls went for guys in Wrangler jeans. Put a cowboy hat on him and he would fit in around these parts without any problem. It was one of the reasons she loved Colorado. Its male residents reflected country chic with a wild spark conjured from the mountains.

  The trio made it to the top of the stairs and ambled across the catwalk which looked down onto the living room and kitchen. The open concept log cabin was as spacious as luxurious. So many fond memories of sneaking out of bed with her rowdy cousins and throwing stuffed animals down onto the adults drifted into her mind. The fifty-year-old cabin was her favorite spot in all of her travels. Colorado reunions were the one place everyone always put aside their spats to bond. She shrugged at their young innocence. Until this year.

  “And here is your room,” said Grandma Jane when they reached the end of the hallway.

  Asher ducked into the room with their bags in tow, but Jessie held up her hands and refused to enter. “I thought boyfriends couldn’t sleep in the same room.”