“I’ve been wondering who Billy was. Now at least there’s a last name to go with the first.”
“He’s someone from my past. Not somebody I want to talk about, or even think about.”
“They say dreams are the manifestation of unresolved emotion.”
“Maybe they are, sometimes. But in this case Billy is someone I grew up with. He isn’t in my life anymore.”
“What happened to him?”
“What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about him’ aren’t you hearing, Jace?”
He turned around to make sure no one was watching and took her arm, drawing her away from the front porch and out of the light.
“Okay, I got it. Now come here.”
Jace backed her up against a tree, and kissed her. As much as she knew she shouldn’t, she let him. She needed the feel of him to wash away the memories of Billy.
He held her for a while, and she rested her cheek against his shoulder. “Thanks.”
“What for?”
“Not pressing the issue.”
“Come on, let’s go eat. Somebody’s gonna come looking for us.” He squeezed her hand before he dropped it and followed her into the dining hall.
Renie tried to avoid talking to Jace about anything that could lead to questions about Billy. She changed the subject so fast sometimes that even her head spun.
“I’m not going to ask about him again,” he said, climbing into bed with her a couple weeks later.
“What do you mean?”
“Billy. You’ve been dancin’ around every topic that you think might lead to him, and it’s exhaustin’ me. I’m not gonna ask you about him. You’ll talk about him when you’re ready.”
“I doubt I’ll ever be ready, Jace. There isn’t much to talk about, even if I were.”
She looked straight at him, waiting for him to raise his eyebrows, or do something else to indicate he didn’t believe her. That’s what Billy would’ve done, but Jace didn’t. When he said he wouldn’t ask about him, he meant it. When he said he was tired of dancing around it, he meant that too.
“Thanks, Jace.” She kissed him.
“It’s okay, I get it.”
Jace did get it, and would let her be, it was just part of his easygoing nature. Billy was never easygoing. When he wanted to talk about something, he wouldn’t relent until they did.
“Stop comparing me to him.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “What does that mean?”
“I can see you doing it. I’m watchin’ the wheels spin. You’re thinkin’ about him right now. You don’t want to talk about him that’s one thing, but thinkin’ about him when you’re in bed with me? That won’t fly with me, Irene.”
Jace moved over her and gently pinned her arms above her head. “Do you understand me? When you’re with me this way, you think about me.”
She looked into his eyes and nodded her head. “I’m sorry, Jace.”
In early August Jace and Renie had another opportunity to go to Glenwood Springs on a rafting excursion. She couldn’t wait to spend time with him without looking over her shoulder every time he smiled at her to make sure no one was looking.
They repeated what they did on their first trip, and booked a couple’s massage in their room at the Colorado Hotel. Afterwards they ate at Juicy Lucy’s.
“Tate talked to me about you the other day,” Jace said during dinner.
Tate was the ranch manager. “Uh oh. What did he say? And why are you telling me about it now?”
“It wasn’t that bad. Mainly he wanted to know what our plans were at the end of the summer.”
“Plans?”
“Yeah, where I’m going. Where you’re going. That kind of thing.”
“I haven’t thought about it much, other than going home.”
“To Crested Butte?”
“That’s the only home I have anymore.”
Jace’s family lived in Aspen. He and his brother had a condo there, although both of them were gone most of the summer. He was there during the winter, though. Last year Jace helped train a group of competitive skiers, he told her. This winter he planned to spend more time at the rodeo than he did on the ski slopes.
“It’s a nice drive over Kebler Pass, especially in the fall. Maybe we can make a couple of trips back and forth.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“You don’t sound too sure about it.”
“No, that sounds nice.”
“Again, missing the enthusiasm factor, Irene. Does this have anything to do with the mysterious Billy?”
It had been a while since they talked about Billy. She wondered if she still talked in her sleep. She definitely still dreamt about Billy, all the time.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with him.”
“Aha, so it does have to do with something.”
“You’re twisting my words. I haven’t thought that far ahead. I haven’t wanted to.”
“Why not?”
She smiled. “Because I’m enjoying my summer so much. That’s why.”
He smiled too. “Me, too. But, Irene, I would like to see you again after the summer is over.”
The last week of September was Irene’s last week at the ranch. Emotions ran high as the staff readied to leave. New friendships formed every summer, and even if a lot of them came back the next year, it would never be the same. Different guests, new personalities among the wranglers, there was beauty in it, but there was sadness too.
Jace had a great attitude, as he did about most things. Nothing much rattled the man. He went back and forth, season to season, doing what he loved. In the summer, he was a wrangler. In the winter he was a skier.
In between he hiked fourteeners and traveled to exotic place around the world. Money didn’t seem to be an issue for Jace, although he never talked about it.
“Come to Aspen for a couple days before you head home. Let me show you around,” he said a few days before they were scheduled to leave.
No one was waiting for her at home. Her mom was still out on the rodeo circuit and Ben was with her, which meant his boys wouldn’t be coming to the house. So why not?
“Sure,” she answered, as though it was the easiest thing in the world.
“Wow.”
“What?”
He laughed. “I didn’t expect you to say yes so quickly.”
“Want to rescind your offer?”
“No way! I was wondering what else I could ask you while you’re so agreeable.”
Was she usually disagreeable?
He tweaked her nose. “There’s that sour face again.”
A week later Renie followed Jace out of the ranch and was glad she was going to Aspen with him. It made the end of their summer much easier. She was afraid she might have cried if she’d had to say goodbye to him along with everyone else.
The thing between Jace and Renie wasn’t a very well-kept secret. Consequently, Renie hadn’t gotten close to the other wranglers. She was friendly, she liked everyone well enough, but there wasn’t anyone else she’d keep in touch with after she left.
It took them two hours to get to Aspen. She followed him to the base of the mountain, where his condo was.
“Nice digs,” she said, getting out of the car. “Am I okay parked here?”
“For now, I’ll put your car in the garage later. I have a parking permit on mine, so it can stay on the street.”
“You don’t have to do that—”
“Not a big deal, Irene.”
Nothing was for him. He had to be the most easygoing man she’d ever known.
“How do you do it?”
“What?”
“Nothing ever bothers you. It’s not normal.”
“Plenty of things bother me.”
“Name one.”
He let out a deep breath. “It bothers me to hear the name Billy every night. That bothers me a lot.”
“Every night? You can’t be serious.”
“There hasn’t been a night I’ve slep
t with you that you haven’t woken me up talking about him. Most of it’s gibberish, but his name is clear as a bell, every time you say it.” He paused and ran his hand through his hair. “The other thing that bothers me is that when you’re awake you refuse to talk about him.”
Renie put her arms around him and squeezed. “I’m sorry. It’s my subconscious. There isn’t anything to talk about. That’s why I don’t.”
“Bullshit.”
“Uh, maybe it would be better if I went home.” His tone stunned her.
“No way. You started this conversation by saying nothing ever bothers me. I’m telling you there’s something that does. It isn’t a reason for you to take off. Stay instead, talk to me about it. Tell me about him for God’s sake. Clearly you aren’t together, or you wouldn’t have spent the summer sharin’ sheets with me, and you wouldn’t be here now.”
Sharin’ sheets, Billy used that expression. It was the only other time she’d heard it.
Jace pulled her close to him. “Come inside at least. Let me show you my condo.” When they got to the front door, he turned around and smiled. “I know how much you hate confrontation, so I’ll drop it for now. You’ll tell me about him when you’re ready to.”
She hated confrontation? Yeah, she supposed he was right. How had they gone from casual sleeping buddies at the ranch to him knowing so much about her in Aspen?
His condo was beautiful. The view of the mountain was incredible, but it was equally impressive inside. It certainly didn’t look like a place two twenty-something brothers shared. It had to have been professionally decorated.
She studied the different pieces of artwork that were perfectly placed throughout the condo. She looked closely and realized the paintings all bore the same signature, but she couldn’t decipher the artist’s name.
“It’s my brother’s work.”
“What? It’s…amazing.”
“The sculpture is his, too. He gets bored with one medium and moves on to another. Eventually, he makes his way back around again.”
“What’s his name?”
“Tucker. We’re twins, by the way.”
“Where is he now?”
“Spain.”
He was so matter-of-fact about everything. She smiled.
“What?”
She laughed. “Nothing.”
“What? Come on, tell me. What’s funny?”
“It’s that nothing flusters you thing again. Notice I said ‘flusters,’ not ‘bothers.’”
He laughed too, and put his arms around her. “I like you, Irene.”
“I like you too, Jace.”
That night he took her to Mathuhisa . He hadn’t asked whether she liked sushi or not. She liked that about him—his confidence. That was a deal-breaker for her. After Billy, she couldn’t have dealt with anyone who lacked self-confidence. Jace had confidence in spades. Afterwards they went to Belly Up to see one of his favorite bands play.
The next day they drove up Independence Pass and hiked to the top. The view was breathtaking, and she said so.
“This is nothing,” Jace answered. “We’re at twelve-thousand feet. Wait until I get you on top of a fourteener.”
He’d been doing that more and more, talking about things they’d do together in the future. Renie hadn’t planned to continue their fling past September. It was apparent Jace had other plans.
That night he took her to the White House Tavern. It was a casual place, and Jace knew everyone there. He introduced her as his summer wrangling partner, and winked at her every time he did. He wasn’t shy about putting his arm around her, or nuzzling her hair, even kissing her. It was so different for them, not having to hide that they were together from people. It made it feel more like a relationship.
“I don’t suppose you’d want to go to Spain with me?” he asked sheepishly the next morning.
“Wait. What? Spain?”
He laughed. “Remember I told you Tucker is in Spain?”
“Yes.”
“My whole family is. They’re expecting me.”
“I’ll have to draw the line at Spain.”
“I figured you would, but thought I’d give it a try anyway.”
She walked to the window and looked out at the mountain. “I’ve never skied here. I’d like to sometime.”
“Is that your way of asking when I’ll be back?”
She turned around, and he was smiling. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but that wasn’t what she’d been thinking at all. “Sure,” she answered instead.
“Okay, sourface. That wasn’t your way of asking, but I’ll tell you anyway. I’ll be back for Thanksgiving.”
Sourface? She was beginning to think it was time for a Jace-break. He was becoming all too familiar, and Renie wasn’t sure she was ready to go in the direction Jace seemed headed in.
“When are you leaving?”
“Friday.”
Today was Wednesday. Maybe she should leave today, to give him time to get ready for his trip.
“Stay with me another night?” he asked, as though he read her mind.
“Sure,” she answered.
“I’m beginning to dislike that word,” he said, but he was still smiling.
They stayed in that night, and the next morning they said goodbye as though they’d be seeing each other in a few days.
It was a long drive from Aspen to Crested Butte, but a beautiful one. The aspens were changing on Kebler Pass, so Renie stopped to take photos of their brilliant yellows and gold.
The further she got away from Aspen, and Jace, the more her chest hurt. She tried to push it away, but nothing worked. As she drove down the mountain road and into Crested Butte, all she could think about was Billy.
12
Her mom and Ben still weren’t home. She didn’t even know what state they were in. Trying to keep up with rodeo schedules was hard enough, for all Renie knew, Ben could be out on tour by now.
She checked the refrigerator to see whether she needed to run to the store for milk or any other essentials. It appeared as though it were well-stocked.
She texted her mom. When will you be home?
Half hour, Liv answered.
They must not be traveling, they must’ve gone to town for something.
The boys?
With us.
Oh, good. Renie was looking forward to seeing them.
Jake and Luke came running through the front door a few minutes later.
“Renie’s here!” Luke shouted, jumping on her and almost knocking her down.
“I guess you missed me.”
He stood back and took a long look at her. “Yep, I’ve missed you.”
She squinted her eyes at him. “What was that about?”
“I missed happy Renie. The other one I can do without.”
“Always a gentleman, aren’t you, partner?” Ben smiled.
Jake looked at her from a few feet away.
“You can hug me too, ya know,” she walked over to him. “Holy crap, how much have you grown in the last couple of months?”
Jake was as tall as she was, if not taller. He hadn’t been much past her shoulder when she left.
Liv came inside and ran toward her much in the same way Luke had.
“I’ve missed you, sweet girl,” she said, hugging Renie so hard she could barely breathe.
“I’ve missed you too, Mom.”
The boys wanted to hear all about her time at the ranch. Jake wanted to know how old he had to be before he could get a job there.
“How about a good, long ride tomorrow?” Renie offered. “I’ll tell you all about it then.”
Ben got up and motioned to the boys. “Let’s make tracks out to the barn and get our chores done.” He winked at Liv. “Give the girls time to catch up.”
“Thanks, honey.”
He grabbed her hand and leaned down to kiss her on his way out the door.
“You two are so happy.”
“We are very happy.”
&n
bsp; “I met someone this summer.”
Liv sat up a little straighter. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing serious.”
“But important enough to bring him up. Tell me about him. What’s his name? Where’s he from?”
“His name is Jace. Jace Rice. Oh damn, I forgot to mention him to Ben. Jace said they were cousins, but he hadn’t seen Ben since they were kids.”
“How old is he?”
Renie laughed. “He’s my age, or a couple years older. He’s not as old as Ben.”
“Not as old as Ben.” Liv rolled her eyes.
“Anyway, his family lives in Aspen. He’s a twin.”
“And?”
“That’s about it.”
“When do we get to meet him?”
“He’s in Spain. He won’t be back until the end of November. And even then…I’m not sure we’ll see each other again.”
“What about Billy?”
“What about him?”
“Have you talked to him?”
“You know I haven’t.”
“Don’t you think it’s time you made up?”
“Made up? Why do we have to ‘make up’?” Renie shook her head. “Billy wasn’t who I thought he was.”
“That’s a little harsh don’t you think? He’s raising that little girl all on his own. I’m proud of him.”
Renie stood. “Good for you, Mom. You are entitled to feel however you want, and so am I. I wouldn’t ask you not to be friends with him, or Dottie and Bill. I’d appreciate the same respect.”
“Are you disappearing again because I brought up Billy?”
Renie sighed. “No. I’m not. I’m done thinking about Billy Patterson. I’m having a glass of wine, and then I thought I’d show you photos of the ranch.”
“Sounds great. I’d love to see your photos.”
“As long as I’m opening a bottle, would you like a glass?”
“No thanks, sweetheart. I’ll have a glass of water.”
When Ben and the boys came back inside, Liv and Renie were huddled together looking at pictures on her phone.
“Here’s one of him,” she said.
“Hey, Ben, Renie met one of your cousins at the ranch. Jace, do you remember him?”
Dance with Me (Cowboys of Crested Butte Book 2) Page 11