by Glynna Kaye
“Thoughtful, yet nevertheless lost income. But winter is a great time of year to visit. Seems we need to promote that more.” He pushed back in his chair, a faint smile touching his lips. “You know, my folks took my brother and me up to Flagstaff to see my first snowfall when I was three. Loved it. One of my first memories.”
“Which is probably what got you hooked on skiing and snowboarding. You did a lot of that in college.”
“In the Flagstaff area, but I’ve never been in this region in the winter. I’ve always heard the Mogollon Rim, the White Mountains, get some of the biggest snows in the state. Guess I’ll experience it firsthand this year. As I recall, you’re into winter sports, too.”
She laughed, warming to his relaxed demeanor. “Almost have to be, growing up here.”
He tilted his head. Caught her eye. “Remember that time the church group went to the Snowbowl? You were there.”
Rob was reminiscing?
She’d skied. Rob snowboarded. But afterward they all met for après-ski time at an historic downtown eatery. She still recalled watching from inside the comfortable old building as fluffy flakes descended from lowering clouds. Could hear the fire crackling in the woodstove. Smell the cinnamon in her cocoa. Could still feel the thrill when Rob had sat down across from her at the bench-seated table.
“I recall taking a break,” he went on, “and watching you come down the slope. I was impressed. You’re good.”
Rob watched her ski? “Thanks. You are, too. Better than good, in fact.”
He nodded in acknowledgment, but to her disappointment he abruptly motioned to the computer. “Got a call from that young honeymooning couple from Kit’s. They confirmed their October reservation. I entered it in the database.”
Jerked from the jaunt down memory lane, Olivia cringed. Gave Elmo a final pat, then stood. Was Rob going to line her out on unauthorized giveaways again? Enough already. “Great. So did you have a good day off?”
His brows rose slightly, as if taken aback. But was that due to her sudden change in topic—or because he thought she guessed what he’d been up to on his day off?
“Yes, a nice day. Thanks for asking.”
But he didn’t elaborate. And avoided her gaze.
Which only served to increase her desire to get to the bottom of his reticence.
Chapter Ten
He couldn’t keep Angie a secret from her forever. She was clearly curious about the reason for his absence, but too polite to ask. Would he tell her if she did—or continue to evade the questions in her eyes? It never seemed the right time to say something. And how did you segue into it during a conversation, anyway? Like during that chat about the cabin last week. Thanks for calling the roofers, Olivia. And by the way— surprise—I have a daughter conceived out of wedlock.
Rob grimaced as he tightened a bolt under the utility sink in the laundry facility. He’d talked to his lawyer. Alerted his parents to Cassie’s warning. Nothing might come of it. Her dad and stepmom had little to no interest in Cassie as a child, so why take any in a granddaughter they hadn’t, up until now, even heard of? But it was best to play it safe anytime you were dealing with moneyed people who couldn’t make a move without legal counsel.
Still on his back, he wiped a grimy hand on an old rag. Maybe finding time to break it to Olivia wouldn’t be so hard if she didn’t constantly remind him how much she looked up to him in college. For pity’s sake, she said he’d set a standard. He’d fooled her—and everyone else—into thinking he was something he wasn’t. And the longer he let this deception go on, the more disappointed and angry she’d be.
He grimaced, and not for the first time considered holding off on bringing Angie to Canyon Springs. Waiting until Paul and Rosa returned, giving them two weeks’ notice and disappearing out of Olivia’s life before she learned the truth. Taking that route—the chicken’s way out?—would address another issue, as well. Although she said he’d changed—even that she didn’t care for the changes she’d seen in him—that didn’t deter the sparks he sensed sizzling between them. A connection.
But it was a connection he couldn’t pursue. Not once she discovered her hero had feet of clay. And it was still too fresh in his mind how it felt to be rejected by a woman you cared for.
He wouldn’t willingly go there again.
Besides, no way would God trust him with Olivia. A fragile, beautiful flower coming into full bloom. Faithful. Trusting. Always hoping and believing the best of others. The man God had planned for her wouldn’t be one with a track record like his, that was for sure.
He’d only break her heart.
“Rob?” Olivia’s good-natured voice called through the open door. “There are some people here to see you.”
With a shudder, he jerked upright, whacking his head on the bottom of the sink. People? Cassie’s parents? So soon? Heart hammering, he rubbed his forehead. “Who are they? What do they want?”
“Roofers. For that leak at Sunflower.”
He scowled as he got to his feet. “Why didn’t you just say so?”
At the growl in his voice, she raised startled eyes to his. “I’m sorry.”
“Never mind.” He turned to lather his hands in the sink. Scrubbed them hard. Why’d she have to look so perky this morning, anyway? The bright blue of her cotton top set her skin aglow, made her dark eyes gleam.
“I said I was sorry.”
“I heard you.”
“Boy, somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”
“I have a lot on my mind.” He tossed the hand towel to the sink, then brushed by her, all but stalking out to the roofing crew, nerves stretched tight. He thought he’d been handling things well regarding Cassie’s folks. Taking precautions. Trusting God.
But snapping at Olivia showed how far from trusting he was.
She followed him out to the crew, listening in from what she probably perceived as a safe distance. Far enough away where he might be able to snap and snarl at her, but not get his hands around her throat.
He retrieved the keys to Sunflower from the office while she chatted with the workers, then he drove out to the cabin with them following. Olivia stayed behind.
He had to calm down, get a grip on himself.
He’d spoken with his lawyer about legal rights to Angie. About the evidence he had showing she’d been left in his care. As much as he was tempted to bolt when his employers returned to town, he’d assured his folks he’d bring Angie to Canyon Springs as soon as he confirmed daycare arrangements with a friend of Meg’s. There was no point in his mom and dad being on guard, stressed out that Cassie’s parents could show up on their doorstep.
The only time he didn’t find himself on edge about that possibility was when Olivia popped in. Stayed to chat. She almost always left him smiling. But flashing red lights came with that, as well.
Leaving the roof to the work crew, he placed a call to Cassie on his way back to the lodge. He’d never seen a photo of her dad and stepmom. Had no idea what they looked like. To be on the safe side, he needed her to email one to him—and tell him their first names.
He slammed a fist on the steering wheel, a cloud of condemnation lowering. How could a man who’d called himself a Christian be in a relationship with a woman, father a child with her and not even know her parents’ names?
His jaw tightened. Who was the man who’d carelessly allowed his spiritual center to erode over time, let it fall into such disrepair that he’d made one disastrous decision right after another?
He didn’t recognize him. Never wanted to be him again.
Prayed to God he still wasn’t him.
But Cassie didn’t pick up on his call. Her phone wouldn’t even let him leave a message. She—and Gus—were probably somewhere in the Australian outback
by now.
He pulled the Jeep up in front of the Singing Rock lodge. Got out. Slammed the door hard enough to rock the vehicle.
“Rob?” Olivia’s voice—tentative, cautious—greeted him. If he looked half as angry as he felt, it was a wonder she’d spoken to him at all.
“Yeah?” He approached where she waited by the lodge’s main entrance, her eyes wary.
“I need to rearrange a few things in here. Make better use of the space. You have a few minutes to spare?”
Not really. He wasn’t good company right now, either. But she couldn’t move anything heavy by herself. The least he could do, after he’d been so cross with her, was help with the lifting. It would give him an opportunity to apologize, too.
Rob hadn’t looked thrilled when she’d put him and Brett to work moving furniture in the spacious main room of the lodge. Grumbled a bit. It took some convincing to get him to see that furniture lined up around the perimeter of the room wasn’t the best use of the space unless you were hosting a square dance. She’d gotten him to grudgingly acknowledge that over the holiday weekend guests had come in the door, looked around and left without lingering. Junked up with overdone cowboy-themed accessories and printed curtains that looked like they belonged in an eight-year-old’s bedroom, it wasn’t a welcoming setting for conversation and relaxation.
But by the time they finished and she’d shooed them out so she could add the finishing touches, he’d acted almost normal, his sense of humor surfacing. Now, ninety minutes later, Brett and Rob returned to see the finished product.
Standing just inside the doorway, Rob gave a low whistle.
“Amazing is right.” Brett gazed around the room like a kid on Christmas morning.
It did look so much better now with everything rearranged—rugs placed to delineate cozy, conversational seating areas, and the more extreme accessories removed. She’d turned off the overhead fluorescent lights, allowing the tabletop lamps to lend a warm glow. A fire crackled in the stone fireplace.
Thrilled with the men’s reaction, she waved them in. “Don’t stand there, try it out. Make yourselves at home.”
Brett headed straight for a sofa and flopped down with a satisfied grunt, but Rob quietly walked the outskirts of the room, taking in the details.
Bracing his hands behind his head, Brett grinned. “Gotta hand it to her, Rob. I think she’s worked magic in here.”
She watched Rob for a further sign of his reaction as he continued to slowly circle the space. Finally, he stopped at a leather chair and sank into its depths, his hands resting on its fat arms. Then he lifted his feet to the footstool on which she’d draped a patterned Navajo blanket, and settled his shoulders into the back of the chair.
“Well, say something,” Brett prompted for her, apparently aware she was holding her breath.
Rob’s eyes again drank in the expanse of the room, then met her gaze at last. “I like it.”
Her spirits rocketed. “Told you, didn’t I?”
“She did,” Brett chimed in. “Made a believer out of me.”
“Seriously, Olivia, what you’ve done here is remarkable.” Rob settled more deeply into the chair, getting comfortable. “I can hardly believe it’s the same room. I can’t say I much liked the excessive cowboy culture clutter, but—”
“Come on, now.” Brett frowned a reprimand. “Go easy on the cowboy stuff.”
Olivia laughed, remembering the bronco and branding iron curtains. The thousand-and-one knickknacks cluttering every available surface—horseshoes and lariats, boots and spurs. She did keep the saddle-based lamp and select accessories. Just enough to keep the Western theme, but more understated.
A phone rang in the adjacent office and Brett leaped to his feet. “I’ll get it.”
Rob’s gaze came to rest on the cheerful fire. “I have to hand it to you, this is nice. I think your folks will like it, and I know our guests will.”
Our? “I’m glad you think so.”
“You know, I wasn’t too excited when you suggested partnering with me on Singing Rock projects.”
She gave a scoffing laugh. “No kidding.”
His forehead creased. “I was that obvious?”
“Let’s just say I didn’t have any doubts as to where you stood on the issue.”
“But I think it may work out.” Smile lines crinkled around the corners of his eyes. “You know, as long as I’m able to keep thinking up fantastic ideas like this—and you follow through on making them a reality.”
Their gazes held and a happy warmth filled her. A smiling Rob was hard to resist.
“So you have more ideas like this one, do you, Mr. McGuire?”
“I’m sure I do.”
As their shared laughter died down, Rob’s gaze sobered and he eased out of the armchair. Came to stand beside her. “I’m sorry for snapping at you in the laundry room this morning, Olivia. You didn’t deserve that.”
She shrugged. “You said you had a lot on your mind. Anything I can do to help ease the burden?”
“Unfortunately, no. Business unrelated to Singing Rock.”
Was the girlfriend trying to dump him? Had she already dumped him? He’d sure been mad about whatever it was, the way he’d slammed the Jeep’s door.
“If there’s anything I can do or if you need to talk about it, I’m available. Been told I’m a good listener.”
“I appreciate that. You know, I was wondering—”
“What’s going on here?” A female voice, almost a shriek, filled the room. “What have you done?”
Olivia stiffened at the sight of her oldest sister standing on the threshold. Hands on her hips, chin jutting, disbelief filled her eyes as she stepped farther into the space to stare at the made-over room.
“Where are the curtains I put up last spring?” She waved a hand, her voice more shrill by the second. “And the canteen collection? The branding irons and cowboy bobble heads? I haunted garage sales for months to find those.”
Rob exchanged a look with Olivia. Paulette had put this room together?
“The public spaces needed some TLC.” Olivia kept her tone level, soothing. “An inexpensive start toward Mom and Dad’s intended upgrade.”
Her sister’s eyes narrowed. “You ran this by them?”
“I didn’t realize moving things around for a more guest-friendly space called for parental approval.”
“You should have asked them—or me—before doing something this drastic. How many times do I have to tell you to keep your nose out of Singing Rock business?”
“She ran it by me.” Rob’s voice, steady and sure, came to her rescue, halting Paulette’s embarrassing tirade. “I gave her the go-ahead. Helped her pull it together.”
Paulette swung toward him. “I didn’t see this in your property plan.”
Something unreadable flickered through his eyes. Rob had already shared his ideas with Paulette? Not her?
“The plan is still in the brainstorming stage.”
“I didn’t think you’d start doing anything until it was complete. Until Mom and Dad approved it.”
Oh, boy, he was getting himself on her sister’s bad side in an effort to defend her. Not a good idea. As always, Paulette would attempt to sway her folks’ decisions. That would include the property plan—and whether or not they kept Rob on as manager. As much as she wanted to prove to her parents she could handle the job, Olivia couldn’t let him flush himself down the drain defending her.
She stepped forward. “This was my idea. I bullied Rob into it. So if you have a problem with what you see, take it up with me, not him. But before you do, really look at it, okay? Put yourself in the shoes of a guest arriving for the weekend.”
Her sister looked ready to pounce, but Olivia continued
, not allowing her to get a word in. “Maybe they’re reeling from a health crisis. Are a fragmented family in need of healing. A battle-scarred veteran or burned-out executive—all seeking peace, relaxation, restoration. Isn’t that what Mom and Dad have always wanted Singing Rock to be? Not merely a business, but a soul-restoring retreat?”
“You think you can just waltz in here and start calling the shots, don’t you? I thought we straightened this out the last time you were home.”
Paulette’s words came as no surprise as Olivia’s memory flew to that fateful day last year when her oldest sister had ruthlessly undermined her self-confidence. Questioned her abilities and motives. Mocked her enthusiasm. She’d come home naively expecting the whole family to embrace her desire to settle down and help out at Singing Rock, but Paulette had been adamantly opposed. Jealous, she now knew—and as Reyna confirmed—of Olivia’s freedom to do so.
Humiliated, Olivia had caved and run.
But never again.
“I know you intended the cowboy paraphernalia to be fun and whimsical.” Olivia’s voice gentled, ashamed for Rob to be privy to this sister-sister dispute. “But I can’t help but think you’ll agree this room now better reflects Mom and Dad’s vision for Singing Rock.”
The flushed face and deeply V’d brows of her sister signaled an angry retort in the making.
“She’s right, Paulette.” Rob’s firm words halted her. “Once you get used to it, I think you’ll find it’s what your folks told me they have in mind. Olivia and I are sorry we didn’t consult you. We were both certain you and your parents would like it.”
Paulette’s jaw still stubbornly clenched, but her gaze again wandered to the soft lighting. Rugs artfully arranged. Pared-down accessories. Surely her sister could see the charm?
“What did you do with the old stuff?”
“It’s in the storage building for the time being.” Olivia glanced at Rob for confirmation. “We might be able to use some of it elsewhere. Maybe work it into some of the cabins.”
The thought made her cringe, but she could compromise if that’s what it took to restore Rob to her sister’s good graces.