“It looks like a nice place. I haven’t had a chance to come in here any time I’ve been home.” They’d just sat down at their table in the River House Restaurant, and Erin already felt like she was completely underdressed. She’d worn the nicest dress she owned, but truthfully, this wasn’t the kind of place she normally went.
“And don’t let the prices scare you. Order anything you’d like, I don’t mind at all. The cheapest dish is probably close to fifty dollars, but the food is to die for.”
Her date was drop-dead gorgeous, and had almost made her knees buckle when she’d answered the door earlier. He was impeccably dressed in a gray suit that fitted perfectly, offsetting his dark black hair, and his eyes were the brightest blue she’d ever seen. She could tell under the jacket he wore, that he wasn’t a stranger to the gym either.
For once, it seemed like she might have gotten lucky with one of her dates. She’d sent a silent thank you to the heavens for the gift that was standing at her door—until he’d started talking.
And the more he spoke, the more she wanted to pretend she was suffering from food poisoning and escape through a window in the bathroom.
“So, I’m glad your accident wasn’t serious. I was worried when my cousin called and told me. Looks like you might end up with a nasty scar on your jaw though. Will you have a plastic surgeon work on fixing that?”
She’d actually thought for a moment he’d genuinely been concerned, but obviously the concern was more with how she might end up looking if they hit it off and continued dating. Not that she ever believed that would be a possibility at this point anyway.
Smiling sweetly, she shook her head. “I doubt it. I think it gives me a bit of a unique look. Kind of like a pirate.”
His eyebrows crinkled together as he examined her.
“Oh, yes. Well, maybe it will heal more after a time anyway.”
The wound was pretty raw once the stitches were removed today, so it was more prominent than it would be even in a few days.
He continued to talk, telling her all about his thriving real estate business. “I’ve been catching up to the town’s bigwig agent, Bob Roberts. He’s been getting worried about me nipping at his heels for the biggest clients, and I’m sure he knows his days are numbered as the top agent in Silver Springs.”
Erin had met Bob, Jack and Emma’s uncle, many times over the years. She had no doubt that if anyone could handle this windbag, it was Bob Roberts.
Obviously, Bertram Hardy didn’t realize the close family connection she had with the Roberts family. She reached out for her wine glass, filled with nothing more than sparkling water because she hated the taste of wine. Then almost knocked it over as another member of the Roberts family stepped inside the restaurant.
His eyes met hers, and the grin on his face made her want to slide slowly under the table. What was he doing here?
It was hard not to notice the ravishing black-haired beauty on his arm, and she felt her stomach sink. Of course, he’d have a date who looked like she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
As they were being escorted to the table directly beside theirs, Jack looked down and feigned surprise. “Erin, great to see you. I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”
He turned and put his hand out to shake Bertram’s, who was now sitting there looking slightly ruffled. “I’m Jack Roberts, a good friend of Erin’s.”
Jack knew she was going on a date tonight, and she was pretty sure she’d mentioned to Emma where Bertram was taking her. Erin wasn’t believing Jack’s story that he didn’t know she’d be here, but she couldn’t figure out what he was up to.
Just when she’d been sure the night couldn’t have gone on any longer, she now knew things were about to go from bad to worse.
* * *
"You know, she's going to know you're here just to spy on her. You aren't exactly being subtle."
Jack shrugged, then took another bite of his steak. "I never said I was spying on her. Just that I thought I’d better keep an eye on her. Two totally different things."
Angie, his best friend's girlfriend, just rolled her eyes as she shook her head. She'd agreed to come out with him since David was working. And because they all spent a great deal of time together, they were good friends themselves.
He'd told her that an old friend was back in town, and she'd been through a lot, so he just wanted to make sure the guy she was going out with was treating her right. At least that's what he’d tried telling himself too.
His eyes strayed back over to the couple at the table beside them. If he strained enough, he could hear them talking. Well, it was mostly the guy doing the talking while Erin sat there pretending to be interested. When he first came in and saw the man across the table from her, he'd felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. Jack had always thought he wasn't too bad in the looks department himself, but even he had to admit the man with Erin tonight looked like some kind of mythical god.
But as the night had progressed, he knew Erin was only pretending to be interested. And he had a niggling feeling some of the attention she was putting on her date was for his own benefit. She hadn't been happy to see him come into the restaurant.
"I have a multi-million dollar deal in the works for that private resort just outside town. But that didn't stop me from taking on the new client. One thing I'm good at is handling the big players. They know I get results, so that's why they come to me."
As he caught Erin's eye, Jack started to choke on the water he'd just put to his mouth. She looked like someone caught in a hostage situation, begging to be saved. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she glared over at him.
Jack quickly brought his attention back to the meal in front of him.
"Real subtle, Jack. I'm not sure who she looks more annoyed with at the moment, you or her charming date." Angie shook her head as she broke apart her lobster tail. Taking a bite, she smiled across at him. "Mmmm...one thing’s for sure, at least this favor comes with a delicious meal." She grinned at him as she savored her meal.
His eyebrow went up. "No doubt. And thank you for not ordering the most expensive thing on the menu. I'm sure your plate was, what? Oh right, the second most expensive."
She continued to grin. "Anything for a friend."
They sat eating their meal in silence for a while, as he strained to listen to what was going on at the other table. He’d never heard anyone so full of himself as the guy sitting across from Erin. On the one hand, he felt bad for her. But on the other, he was glad the guy was turning out to be such a jerk.
It would make it all the more easy to convince her to go on a date with him.
Seven
"So, Jackson, Erin tells me you somehow ended up at the same restaurant as her last night. I wonder how that would have happened." Emma sat at the table across from him as they sat down to eat. Every Wednesday, they all tried to meet at their parent’s house for lunch, something they'd been doing since they’d each moved out on their own.
Jack had always joked that his mom had been born in the wrong generation, and that she should have been a wife in the fifties. She doted on her family, and nothing gave her more pleasure than being a wife and mother. Their mom enjoyed cooking, and having her family together was the thing that made her the happiest.
She’d been a homemaker, and had given them everything they needed growing up. And she’d always told her kids they could do whatever made them happy—whether that be their own careers or businesses, or to be a homemaker like she’d been. She wanted them to follow their hearts, and had been their biggest supporter in life.
But one thing she insisted on, was that if they married, they married for love.
"It was a coincidence, that's for sure." He brought his spoonful of homemade tomato soup up to his mouth.
"Mmm...hmm. Why don't I believe that? Oh, maybe because she mentioned you were there with some black-haired goddess on your arm. I'm pretty sure we all know that was most likely Angie Stafford, David's girlfriend. W
hy would you be on a date with her?"
Jack shrugged. "She wanted to go out for dinner.”
"You're such a liar. You better not do anything to hurt Erin. You had your chance with her and you blew it. Stay away from her."
"Kids! That's enough. Honestly, you two still act like you’re ten-years-old sometimes."
Jack fought the urge to stick his tongue out at his sister and prove his mother right.
"Bri, how are the wedding plans coming along, dear? Are we still going to look at dresses tomorrow?"
Bri, and her soon-to-be-husband Anthony, had been staying out of the conversation while the other two argued. She was the youngest, but as they'd all been told for many years, she was the most mature out of them all.
"Yes, I have an idea of what I'd like, so hopefully it won't take too long. It’ll just be you, me, Emma, and Bekah. Emma, I’ll pick you up at nine, then come here to get Mom."
Jack chuckled to himself. He knew how much it irked Emma when Bri told her what she was doing without giving her any say. "So, don't I get to come?" He loved trying to get under Bri's skin.
Bri tilted her head and pursed her lips together. "No, but you and Dad need to get together with Anthony to make sure you get your suits. It isn't going to be a big fancy wedding, but I'd at least like you to wear something besides your usual blue jeans and T-shirt."
"Well, to be fair, I was going to put a tie on too." He laughed as Bri actually did stick her tongue out at him. "Mom! Did you see that?"
Bri gave him an innocent smile.
"Seriously, could we have one meal without you all carrying on like children?" Their dad was shaking his head as he spooned the soup into his mouth, not even lifting his head to look at them.
Shaking his head, Anthony laughed at Jack. “Seriously, Jack, do you honestly think we’re going to have any say in the matter? She’s probably already got the suits picked out for us.”
Since Anthony didn’t have any family, he’d asked Jack to stand up with him. They’d built a good friendship since he’d started dating Bri, and Jack thought he was the perfect match for his youngest sister. She needed someone to bring out the less serious side in her.
When it was time to leave, Bri turned before heading out the door ahead of him. "So, should I change your ‘one’ to ‘plus one’?”
"No, he's not bringing Erin. I won't let him." Emma shook her head adamantly.
"Seriously, what is your problem with me asking her out?"
Emma's mouth fell open. "You honestly have to ask that? You know how much you hurt her when you dumped her like she was nothing. It took her a long time to get over the pain of that, and I won't let you do it again. Our friendship suffered because of you, and I just now finally have my friend back."
"Emma, that was a long time ago. They've both grown a lot since then," Bri tried to reason with Emma.
Emma turned to face Bri. "Jackson has never had a serious relationship since the day Erin left. He doesn't even know how to be true to just one woman. I won't let Erin be another number to him."
"Did you ever think about why I've never had a relationship since then? Or have you been too busy condemning me for being something you believe me to be? Maybe the reason I've never had another serious relationship is because I knew I could never have a chance with the one person I wanted to be with. I know I hurt her, and I've regretted it every day since it happened. I know I don't deserve another chance, but it's not fair to make me out to be some kind of womanizing jerk who doesn't care about anyone but myself.” He glared at her.
“The truth is, I do care. I care about that girl I hurt all those years ago, and have been hoping that someday, maybe I’d get another chance to fix the things I messed up when I was young and stupid. But if you think that about me, then I can only imagine Erin is probably much the same. So there's not even much point in trying, is there?"
Anger like he hadn't felt in a long time consumed him as he opened the door, slamming it behind him. He loved his sister, and he couldn't blame her for being worried about her best friend. He knew she'd lost the closeness she had with her when they'd broken up.
But what Emma didn't understand was how much it had cost him too.
* * *
She bent down to reach the bag at the bottom of her cart, wincing as pain shot up her side. It had been over a week since her accident, but she was still feeling the effects. And wearing this cast on her wrist wasn't helping her situation. She was almost sure her poor grandmother would have been better off on her own, considering how much help she actually was.
Suddenly, something wet was pressed against her arm and a loud voice hollered, "Tank, get back here."
She smiled down into the face of the dog who was licking her arm and wagging his tail so hard he was almost knocking himself over. When she looked up, Jack was running over to catch up.
"I'm sorry. We were out for a run, and suddenly someone decided he saw a friend and veered off, yanking the leash from my hand. He's never done that before, but he sure won't be getting any treats today for his behavior."
Tank was enjoying the scratch she was giving him on his head, so he didn't seem too worried that he'd upset his owner.
"Oh, it's okay. It's nice to see a friendly face." She crouched down and let him lick her cheek. "You just wanted to say hi, didn't you?" She’d always loved dogs, and Tank had a very lovable personality.
Standing back up, she shrugged as she smiled at Jack. "Besides, Tank and I have a bond now. After all, he did save me when I was in that wreck."
Jack's eyebrow went up. "Tank saved you? I'd say he might have had some help." He crossed his arms in front of him as he leaned against the shopping cart.
She was enjoying being able to tease and joke with him like they used to do. Something had changed after he’d found her in that accident. It seemed to close some of the wounds she'd carried all those years. Any other time she'd seen him, it had been awkward and difficult to carry on a conversation.
But now, things just felt different.
"Well, his was the first face I saw peeking in, so I consider him to be my savior. That slobbering tongue somehow let me know I'd be all right."
Jack just rolled his eyes. "Next time, I'll just stay in the truck and let you and Tank hang out."
"Oh, I'd like that. I think I'd like to have a playdate with my savior." She grinned down at the dog who was loving all the attention as he pushed against her leg to keep petting him.
"Unfortunately, Tank doesn't go anywhere without me. So, if you're wanting a playdate with him, you'll need to let me tag along." Now he was grinning as she realized she'd just been tricked into going out with him.
As she glanced down at Tank, who looked up at her with such hopeful eyes, she knew she couldn't disappoint him.
She was sure it had nothing to do with the chance to spend time with Tank's owner.
At least that's what she decided she’d let herself believe.
Eight
"Oh, Jack Roberts, you didn't need to come and do all this. I keep telling that girl of mine I'm perfectly capable, but she won't listen."
Erin sighed as her grandma once again went on about not needing help. It was like the woman didn't even realize she'd had a stroke, and it was nothing more than a slight problem.
In all honesty, she was getting a lot better each day, more than the doctors or any of them had ever thought possible. Erin knew it was nothing more than sheer stubbornness which had brought her recovery about so quickly. But she still wasn't to the point of where she’d been before, or able to do some of the basic tasks on her own.
After agreeing to the “date,” Jack had hopped in her grandma's car with her. Tank jumped in the backseat, his head hanging over the middle console as they drove. He was so happy to be going for a car ride, he didn't even seem to care where they went.
After carrying all the groceries in for her, Jack now sat and visited with her grandma. Tank had plopped down on the floor at her grandma's feet after the woman ha
d paid him the adequate amount of attention.
"It's no trouble at all. I just wish you ladies had let me know you needed a couple of things done around here. I told Erin to call me if she needed anything, but I guess the stubborn apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?"
He'd always had such a good relationship with her grandma, and Erin had to smile at how smitten the woman seemed with him again so quickly. Apparently, she’d completely forgot how devastated he'd left her only granddaughter a few short years ago.
"Really, Jack, changing a couple of lightbulbs I couldn't reach, and fixing a hinge on a door isn't something I needed to call you to come and help with. You make it sound like you've saved the house from falling down around us."
"Now, Erin. You be nice. Jack didn't have to do anything."
Erin went and sat on the couch at the far end from Jack, keeping her teeth clenched so she wouldn't say anything else.
"Oh, it's all right, Grandma Wynn. I'm used to her moods."
Her grandma chuckled loudly, making Tank lift his head and look around to see what was going on. It plopped back onto the floor when he realized there was nothing to concern him.
"So where are you two going this afternoon?"
When Jack had arrived with Erin, they'd mentioned they were going to hang out for the afternoon and let Tank have a playdate with Erin.
"I was actually thinking of taking her to the hot springs. My sister Bri has a deal with the manager of the hotel there for her guests to have access to them. She’s been known to pull some strings to let family in now and again."
Erin sat up straighter and looked at him. "Are you serious? That would be wonderful!" Immediately she realized she might sound too excited, so she quickly looked down at Tank. "But, I thought this day was supposed to be about Tank? I don't think they’re going to let him in." She swallowed her disappointment, but she knew she didn't want him to think she was agreeing to this so he could go out with her.
Rocky Mountain Soul Page 3