Austin looked like he was about to burst when Trent finally gave him the all-clear sign. “Okay, Mom. You can look now.”
Blakely peeled off the blindfold. Her mouth dropped open as she took in her surroundings—the fading blue sky overhead, Hayden Mountain in front and The Western Hotel to her right.
“The apartment?”
He nodded, her approval washing over him. “Outfitted to suit your needs.” He stepped out of the way and gestured in the direction of Hayden. “If memory serves me correctly, we’ll be front row center for the best show in town this July Fourth.”
“You like it, Mom?”
She inspected her makeshift bed. “Like it?” Her gaze found Trent. “I can’t believe you went to all this effort—for me. It’s perfect.”
His heart swelled. Exactly the reaction he was hoping for. Maybe more.
“Hey, look.” Austin pointed toward the street and waved. “There’s Zach and his family.”
The red Jeep stopped in front of Adventures in Pink, and Zach’s dad got out.
“Are you sure you don’t want to ride in the torchlight parade with us, Austin?” Mark Taylor stared up at them. “We’ve got an extra seat.”
“Austin—” Blakely pushed up on her elbows “—go with Zach. You know you want to.”
His frown said he was still struggling.
“We can still watch the fireworks together.” She caressed his arm. “Just have them drop you back by here when you’re done.”
He peered at his mother. “You really don’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
The smile that erupted on his face was brighter than any fireworks.
“He’ll be right down,” Trent hollered over the rail.
Austin hugged each of them. “I’ll be back as soon as it’s over.”
“Don’t you worry, short man,” Blakely yelled after him. “We’ll be here.”
The door to the stairwell slammed and, a minute later, Austin hopped into the backseat with Zach and waved.
“I think you made his day.”
Blakely’s long slender fingers took hold of his. Smiling up at him, her blue eyes sparkled like never before.
“I think you made mine.”
* * *
Blakely stared at Gran’s living room ceiling. As soon as her foot was well, she was going to paint that thing. White was too boring and predictable.
Lowering her gaze, she refreshed the screen on the laptop cradled across her middle. No new emails. She groaned. Only ten-thirty and she’d already updated the Adventures in Pink website and responded to all of the emails in her inbox. At this rate, she’d be stir-crazy by noon.
Yesterday wasn’t so bad with everyone to keep her company. Now, Gran was cleaning motel rooms and doing laundry, Austin was washing Jeeps at the shop, Trent was working at the clinic and she felt...downright lonely.
Thoughts of Trent brought a smile to her face. The way he’d rushed to her rescue, so caring and attentive. True, he was a doctor and that’s what they were supposed to do, but his need to take care of her seemed to transcend his Hippocratic Oath.
And then last night... A satisfied sigh escaped her lips. All that effort so they could watch the fireworks as a family. For all the grief she gave him while she was blindfolded, her heart practically melted when she opened her eyes on that balcony.
Gran was right. In the time Trent had been back, he’d done everything he could to try to make up for the past. But could she really be in love? In only six weeks?
Those questions, as opposed to a sore ankle and lumpy couch, kept her awake most of the night.
God, I’m so confused. My head tells me one thing, but my heart tells me another.
Knock, knock.
Jethro hopped to his feet beside her and did his usual barking bit, while Ellie Mae moseyed toward the door.
“Easy in there. It’s just me.”
Blakely grabbed hold of Jethro’s collar. “Come on in, Lisa.”
Her receptionist stepped inside, clutching a stack of papers. “Are you climbing the walls yet?”
“No. Wall climbing isn’t on the schedule until this afternoon.”
They both got a chuckle out of that.
Lisa perched on the edge of the chenille loveseat. “I assume you’re following doctor’s orders.”
Ellie Mae sashayed alongside her, looking for a rub. Lisa didn’t disappoint.
“Oh, yes. Of course, he threatened to duct tape me to the couch if I don’t comply.”
Dan’s wife lifted a hand to cover her laugh. “Sounds like he knows you pretty well.”
Embarrassment heated Blakely’s cheeks. She cleared her throat. “Whatcha got for me?”
Lisa held out a file folder. “Paperwork.”
The blower on Blakely’s laptop kicked on, sending a wave of warm air swirling around her as Lisa handed over the papers.
Blakely scanned the routine forms from the forest service. “Could you pass me that pen, please?” She pointed to the coffee table.
Blakely scratched her signature at the bottom. Handed them back. “That it?”
There was another knock on the door, and the canine chorus started up again.
Jethro got away this time. Hopped to the floor.
“Anybody hungry in there?”
Trent?
He was supposed to be at work.
She hadn’t even had a chance to freshen up. Bored, she’d unwound her braids but had only finger-combed them since. She needed a shampoo, not to mention a shower.
Running her fingers through her hair, her wide gaze slammed into Lisa’s.
Always the encourager, Lisa stood and smiled. “You look fine. And even if you didn’t, he’d still be crazy about you.” She crossed to the door and opened it.
Trent entered, holding a white paper bag in one hand. “Lisa?”
“Don’t mind me. I’m on my way out.” She turned and motioned the papers clutched in her hand. “I’ll get these in the mail today.” She started out the door, then stopped and turned back. “Oh, I almost forgot. A lady from the state called and wants to talk with you. Hope you don’t mind, but I gave her your cell number. She said she’d call this afternoon.”
“The state, huh? I wonder what that’s about.” She shrugged. “Guess I’ll find out. Thanks, Lisa.”
“Later, Lisa.” Trent greeted Ellie Mae with a rub.
Not one to be left out, Jethro hopped back on the couch, getting as close to Trent as he possibly could.
“What’s in the bag?”
“Lunch.” A slate-blue polo shirt added a spark to his dark eyes. Standing at the end of the sofa, he stared at her with a look that practically took her breath away. “How are you today?”
“Bored. Lonely. But other than that, I’m doing great.” Yuck. She hadn’t even brushed her teeth.
“I figured as much. Only one of the reasons I took the rest of the afternoon off.” His smile made her weak in the knees. Which said a lot, since she was lying down.
She grabbed hold of Jethro. “They let you do that?”
“Slow day.” He set the bag on the coffee table and placed her laptop beside it. Next, he carefully lifted her bad foot, removed the pillows and sat down, resting her leg on his lap. “I figured maybe God wanted me to hang out with my favorite patient.”
Her cheeks grew hot. “What were the other reasons?”
Setting the now-lukewarm ice pack aside, he unwound the elastic bandage, his touch as gentle as it was electrifying. “So I could see for myself how your ankle is doing.”
“And?”
He examined it first, poked at it lightly. “The swelling is subsiding. I’d still like you to use the ice, though. At least for today.” He grabbed the bandage and star
ted rewrapping.
“When can I stand on it?”
“That remains to be seen.” He pulled the afghan back over her feet and draped his arm over her leg. Something that felt completely normal and comfortable.
“How come you’re being so nice to me? I mean, I didn’t exactly give you a rousing welcome when you first arrived in Ouray.”
“I wouldn’t have expected you to. But I happen to think you’re an amazing woman with a big heart.” He rubbed her calf, triggering sensations best ignored. “You deserve to be treated special.”
The warmth in his gaze told her there was no reason to question his sincerity.
“However, you never answered my question.”
“Question?”
“Are you hungry?”
She grinned. “Starving.”
* * *
When they’d finished eating, Trent took their trash to the kitchen. Blakely was struggling to find a more comfortable position when she caught him looking at a picture of Austin on the wall between the dining and living room.
“That’s one of my all-time favorite photos of him,” she said.
“Looks like he’s at the beach.”
“Yep. Florida. He was two. He’s chasing seagulls.”
He studied the image awhile longer. “I missed so much.” Longing filled his voice. He’d never be able to recapture the years he lost.
Her mind wandered to all the photos she’d taken over the years. Perhaps she could help fill in the blanks.
She pointed to the shelf in the corner. “See all those scrapbooks over there? Why don’t you grab the light blue one on the left and bring it here.”
When he returned, she set Jethro on the floor and made room for Trent to sit beside her. He rested the book on his lap but didn’t open it. Then she saw he was waiting for her.
“Go ahead.” She nodded to the book.
He lifted the cover, revealing a photo of her holding a newborn Austin and one of the baby alone. “Look at all that hair.” He caressed the picture almost reverently.
“He was born with a full head of dark hair. Used to drive me crazy because it stuck straight up. Even now his curls can get unruly sometimes.”
“Tell me about it.” He ran a hand over his own hair.
Reaching up, she fingered his dark curls. “Yep, Austin’s are soft but thick, just like yours.”
He pointed to the picture with her. “You look tired.”
“Well, yeah. Twenty-two hours of labor will do that to you.”
“Twenty-two? You must have been worn out.” Compassion and regret filled his gaze.
She turned the page.
When they’d finished that album, they moved on to the next. Over the next few hours she shared snapshots of her life with Austin that no one outside of her family had ever seen. She’d opened the deepest part of her and allowed Trent access. Raising the question she’d long wanted to ask him.
“Did you love her?”
He stared at her as though not sure how to respond.
She touched his hand. “The truth.”
“Not at first. But over time, I chose to love her.” He clasped her fingers in his. “When I started going to church, I knew that was what I had to do. She was my wife.”
Blakely didn’t want to feel the ache that throbbed in her chest. But what had she expected him to say? That he’d lived with this woman for years and never cared about her? Would she have wanted him if he had?
She tugged at the fringe on the afghan draped over her legs. “So what happened?”
“She said I was boring.” He moved the last book to the coffee table. “That I cared more about God and my studies than I did about her.”
“Was that true?” She shifted to see him better.
“I honestly don’t know, Blakely. I thought I was doing the right thing. Trying to be the best husband and provider I could.”
“Did you ignore her?”
“I don’t think so. At least, not on purpose.” He dropped his head against the back of the sofa. Stared at nothing. “But I wasn’t giving her the kind of life she wanted or expected when she married me. She was a party girl and expected me to be a party guy.” His grip tightened. “When I didn’t conform...well, eventually she decided to find someone who would.”
She stroked his arm. “I’m sorry. I know that must have hurt.”
He looked down at her. “I’ve had a lot of time to get over it. And finding you and Austin is proof of God’s goodness and mercy.”
Her smile was a nervous one. Despite all her efforts, Trent had breached her heart once again. She was in love.
Laying a hand to his cheek, she tugged him toward her until their lips met. Last night’s fireworks paled in comparison. His kiss left her as breathless as a hike to the top of Mt. Sneffels.
She pulled away, leaning her forehead against his. “Gran says we serve a God of second chances.”
He kissed her nose. “Your grandmother is a very wise woman.”
“I’m ready to give us a second chance.”
“Blakely, I have something to—”
Her phone rang.
She pulled back. “Sorry. I need to get that.”
He grabbed her cell from the coffee table and handed it to her.
“Hello.”
“May I speak with Blakely Daniels?”
“This is she.” Her gaze drifted across the room, out the window.
“My name is Greta Malone. I’m with the Colorado Department of Revenue.”
“I see.” She was pretty sure her heart stopped beating. Don’t panic. Don’t... She grabbed hold of Trent’s hand.
“I’m calling to let you know that Adventures in Pink has been selected for an audit that will begin on July twentieth.”
Blakely’s mouth fell open. Disbelief churned in her gut. “July twentieth? That’s impossible. That’s our busiest week of the year. There’s no way I can possibly—”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Daniels, but unless our schedule changes, July twentieth it is.”
Ending the call, Blakely didn’t know whether to cry or scream. Looking at Trent, she knew both were inevitable.
“I’m being audited.”
Chapter Twenty
Overlooking Twin Peaks from the second floor of The Alps, Trent nursed his third cup of coffee. For someone who pulled thirty-six-hour shifts in the E.R. for three years, he’d sure gone soft fast. What had he been thinking, telling Austin he and Zach could have a sleepover at his place? On a Friday? After a long day at the clinic?
Now he knew why they called it a sleepover. Any hope for sleep was over.
Somebody should have warned him.
Okay, perhaps Blakely had. But he wanted to give her the night off. Wanted her nice and rested when she took the doctors and their families out on that all-day tour. A tour Scott and Rebecca would be on. Which is why he stayed in his apartment until after the tour left. If they’d seen him, the conversation would have been all about the new practice. But since he still hadn’t said anything to Blakely...
Their relationship seemed to have turned a corner in the two weeks since her fall. His feelings were growing stronger than he’d ever imagined. But he had yet to tell her he’d be leaving. He couldn’t seem to get the words out. Like saying it would make it more real. Inevitable.
Good thing Scott was staying in Telluride.
The laughter of two little boys drew his attention to the sidewalk below. Austin raced behind Ellie Mae while Zach urged Jethro to keep up. They disappeared into the house, only to emerge moments later without the dogs. They continued past the pool, chattering all the way.
“Hey, Dad,” said Austin as the two boys clomped up the wood steps. “Can you take us on a hike up to Chief Ouray Mine?”
“What about after you’re done?”
How could they even think about making such a hike? They’d had less sleep than him.
“Not today.” He’d be lucky if he had enough energy to complete the task at hand. “Besides, that’s a long hike that needs to be started early.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s already noon.”
Austin pouted.
“Sorry, I’m late.” Dan waved across the small parking lot.
“No problem.” He chugged the rest of his coffee as Dan trotted up the stairs.
“It won’t take that long, Dad. Please?”
“Austin! I said not today.” His tone was sharper than he’d intended. Chalk it up to lack of sleep.
Dan peered into the empty room. “So that all we got?”
“I already moved the light stuff, but the dresser and beds are a two-man job. Once we get those into the other room we’ll need to readjust things in here.” Everything had been pushed against the walls to make space for the extra items.
“Let’s get to it, then.” Dan went into the crowded room while Trent set his cup on the railing.
Austin and Zach were still there. Their faces as long as he’d ever seen them.
He pulled a pair of leather work gloves from his back pocket, remorse kicking him in the gut. “Look, I’m sorry I snapped.”
“Can me and Zach go hiking?”
They were bored. And he had work to do.
“Where?”
Austin shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe Cascade Falls or the perimeter trail.”
His gaze skimmed Oak Street and Box Cañon. He’d forgotten about the perimeter trail that circled town. Easy, yet time-consuming.
He let go a sigh. “Yeah. Go ahead. Just be back by five.”
* * *
Trent grunted under the weight of the dresser as he and Dan eased it through the door of the vacant room. Even though they’d removed the drawers, the solid-wood piece weighed a ton.
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