by Stacy Finz
Colt stayed another hour and then decided to call it a night. Everyone had work in the morning, including Deb, who had a breakfast shift at the diner.
At home, Colt found a folded piece of paper taped to his door and opened it.
Watched the meeting on local cable access. Seemed like the photo was a nonissue and that you still have a job. Congratulations!
Cheers,
Delaney
He glanced over at her house. The lights were out. Probably for the best, otherwise he might’ve strolled over.
Between their two schedules, he didn’t wind up seeing her until Sunday morning. One look at her eager face as she came down her front porch and he kicked himself for inviting her river rafting. It had been a damned stupid idea and he fervently hoped she didn’t think it was a date. Because it wasn’t.
“Is this all right?” she asked as he loaded his truck with PFDs and other equipment they’d need.
“Hmm?” He glanced up to see what she was talking about.
“What I’m wearing? Is it okay?”
Clingy little exercise shorts and a matching top. Hell yeah, it was okay. “You got a pair of old tennis shoes you don’t mind getting wet?”
“I think so. Let me go check.” She went skipping off and Colt took a couple of minutes to stare at her ass.
Better to get it out of his system now, he told himself. She came back twenty minutes later.
“What, did you wind up making them?”
“I had to dig through my closet.”
He glanced down at her feet but not before taking a leisurely trip down her long, shapely legs. Yep, definitely an idiotic idea. “Those will work. I’ve got a jacket and a floatation device for you in the truck. We better get moving.”
She hopped up into his cab and they got the rest of what they needed, including the boat, at Garner Adventure. And being the lucky SOB that he was, his entire family was there when he showed up with Delaney. He would’ve been blind not to have noticed the pointed glances exchanged between his nosy-as-hell brothers.
Ignore them, he told himself. They could think what they wanted but there was nothing going on here. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. And just to hit it home, Lisa and the damn song came on the radio as they headed for the river. Colt turned it off.
“You don’t like country music?” Delaney asked.
“I like it. I just thought we could go over how this’ll work.”
“Oh, okay.”
He gave her the safety-tip spiel and what to expect. Because it was only the two of them, he’d taken a much smaller raft than he had the last time. Colt figured he’d be doing most of the oar work and just wanted her to enjoy herself.
When they got to the spot where they’d put in their raft, he helped her with her PFD and helmet and made sure she slathered on plenty of sunscreen.
“You ready to do this?”
“I . . . uh . . . think so,” she said.
“Don’t worry.” Colt winked. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
It might’ve been his imagination, but he thought she blushed. Twenty minutes later, whatever he’d seen was replaced with sheer fear when they encountered their first rapids.
“What if we capsize?” she shouted over the roar of the water.
“We won’t. But if we do, remember what I told you.”
She nodded, then let out a small shriek each time they hit heavy water. After a while, she appeared to relax. He turned around a few times to make sure she was okay and found her beaming. With the wind whipping through her hair, excitement sparkling in her eyes, and the sun lighting her face, he felt his chest squeeze and everything in him constrict.
“This is fun,” she called.
“Yep.” He couldn’t stop staring at her and smiling.
He paddled them toward calmer waters so he could collect himself, afraid if he didn’t, he’d lose control of the boat. Considering these were Class II+ rapids, intended for novices, he’d never hear the end of it.
“Those were pretty big, huh?”
“Not bad. There are more up ahead. Let me know when you’re ready.” He’d never gotten so much pleasure from another person’s enjoyment. It made him yearn for more. To watch her light up like that ... well, it was everything.
“Okay.” She stuck her hand in to feel the water. “It’s cold.”
“It’s worse in winter. You ever go out in the lake?”
She shook her head. “We were going to get a boat but . . .”
Not for the first time, Colt wondered about Robert. What kind of guy let another man make a pass at his wife? Colt wanted to ask why they’d broken up, but he didn’t know her well enough to get that personal. Besides, it didn’t pay to become too involved. She was here to restart her company. As soon as that happened, she’d leave.
Chapter Eight
The day was perfect. Sunny and warm with a soft breeze coming off the river. Delaney had never been to this particular spot on the water but it was gorgeous. Tall pines for as far as the eye could see. Cattails and grasses of various species, heights, and colors covered the riverbanks. And everything smelled so fresh and green.
Exhilarating is how she would describe riding in the raft with Colt. He navigated with wicked dexterity that seemed effortless and made her feel extremely safe. She knew he’d been rafting and leading tours since a teenager. Delaney had never been outdoorsy or athletic, or even the slightest bit adventurous, but the outing had been so much fun she’d be tempted to try other activities. Especially with Colt as her guide.
“You enjoy that?” Colt helped her out of the raft, got her onto dry land, then dragged the boat in.
“Amazing.” She couldn’t stop grinning.
He gave her a quick inspection. “I should’ve told you to bring a set of dry clothes.”
“That’s okay. I’ll be fine in the sun.” She’d read on the Internet not to wear cotton because it took too long to dry. The only thing she had that was even remotely appropriate was exercise clothes.
“Well, I need to change.” Colt grabbed a bag from the truck and headed for a tree. “I’ll be right back to load everything up. Don’t try to look.”
He said it so dryly that at first Delaney didn’t realize he was joking. Colt was sort of an enigma. It was difficult to tell when he was being playful or flippant. He returned a few minutes later in a T-shirt and a pair of worn, faded cargo shorts. They’d definitely seen better days, but on him . . . yum.
“So, you get any design inspiration from the trip?” Colt asked, and she forced her face up to meet his eyes, instead of his chest, its own kind of inspiration.
“Uh, I don’t know yet.” She didn’t think so. Still, it had been a wonderful respite from sitting in her studio, frustrated.
“I’m pretty optimistic something will come from it,” he said with a touch of arrogance. Men always thought they could fix everything. Yet, Delaney wasn’t annoyed. His heart was in the right place and it had been so sweet of him to take her out on his day off.
“I can’t believe it took me this long to try river rafting,” she told him. “Had I known how much fun it is, I would’ve done it a long time ago.”
“Next up, waterskiing.”
She tilted her head back to look up at him and see if he was teasing. “You want to go waterskiing today?”
“Nah. But we could go next Sunday.”
“Uh, I don’t think I’m quite ready for that.” Although the idea of spending another day with him appealed to her. “What else you got?”
He thought about it for a few seconds. “Maybe just a hike.”
She could do that. “Nothing too strenuous, right?”
“Nope. We could just do something scenic. Maybe bring your sketch pad.”
“You do realize I’m a fashion designer, not a pleinairist, right?”
He slung his wet clothes over the opened driver’s door, dragged the raft closer, and hefted it into the bed of his truck. She helped him gather up the paddl
es and load the rest of the equipment. Then they both sat on Colt’s tailgate in the sun, silently listening to the birds sing and the river flow. The sounds were peaceful, and she found their lack of conversation oddly companionable for two people who hardly knew each other. As time lapsed, Colt’s stomach growled.
“Hungry?” she asked.
“Yeah, you?”
Delaney wished she’d thought to pack a picnic lunch. “A little bit.”
He eyed her still wet clothes. “Want to go home and change and then grab something?”
“Sounds good.” She wanted to take him somewhere nice as a thank-you. One thing she knew about Colt from the short time they’d lived next to each other was that he didn’t get many days off. It had been mighty generous of him to give up his Sunday to her.
They got in his truck and he took the winding road back to the highway. She managed to get in and out of her house in under thirty minutes—just enough time to change and put on a little makeup. He still had on the cargo shorts and tee when she found him sitting on his porch, talking on the phone. Something about a gig at Old Glory.
“You’re planning to play?” she asked when he hung up.
He nonchalantly lifted his shoulders. “Boden needed someone to fill in. You look pretty.”
“Thanks.” The compliment delighted her. Compared to him, she was overdressed in a white fit-and-flare dress from her summer Every Day collection. In LA, she could eat a hotdog at Pink’s in the dress and not stand out. In Glory Junction, it looked like she was trying too hard. But she’d wanted to be—and feel—attractive. For Colt. For herself.
He stood up and wiped the back of his shorts with his hands. “So, where do you want to go?”
“I want to take you somewhere nice ... a token of appreciation for taking me rafting. Any suggestions?”
He thought about it a little. “The Four Seasons has a good restaurant.”
“Perfect,” she said, and expected him to go inside to change.
Instead, he led the way to his truck and helped her in to the passenger seat. It made no difference to her. While the shorts had seen better days, Colt wore them better than most men did designer suits.
He drove them up the mountain, passing two of the smaller resorts. “I heard somewhere that you don’t ski. That true?”
“Yep.” She laughed at the look he gave her. She knew that most people moved here for the skiing.
“Hannah doesn’t ski either.”
Delaney hadn’t known that about her friend. “But Josh does, right?” With his injured leg she didn’t know if he could.
“All Garners do, have since we were old enough to walk. How come you don’t?”
“It wasn’t something my family did. Too expensive, I guess. And when I got older and could afford it . . .” She trailed off because she realized she didn’t know why she’d never learned. “I suppose I never had the time.”
“You should add it to your list of new things to try.” He pulled in to the ornate gated entrance of Winter Bowl and followed the signs to the hotel.
“I hope we can get in without a reservation.”
“It won’t be a problem.” He pulled up to the entryway of the mammoth lodge, which looked more like expensive apartments than a hotel, helped her out, and tossed his keys to one of the valets, saying something she couldn’t hear. It appeared as if they knew each other.
He put his hand at the small of her back and guided her inside the lobby to the restaurant. She’d eaten here a few times before with Robert, yet the views out the huge picture windows never ceased to amaze her. The sun shimmered off the blue green waters of Lake Paiute, thousands of towering pines stacked up the mountainside, and the lush peaks of the Sierra Nevada rolled out like a life-size mural. The snowless ski runs now played host to daredevil mountain bikers, who took the lifts up and traversed down the rugged trails.
“Good afternoon, Chief,” the maître d’ greeted them. “Will you be dining with us this afternoon?”
Colt nodded. “Could we have a window table?”
The maître d’ scanned the half-full restaurant, grabbed two menus, and showed them to their seats, a spot with one of the best views in the house. In the distance, Delaney could see a group of paddleboarders on the lake—another thing she’d never tried—and boats of various sizes. She thought about the town’s motto: “Welcome to Glory Junction, where life is always glorious.” Sitting across from a man who was as outrageously sublime as the great outdoors, she’d have to agree.
“This okay?” he asked.
“Are you kidding? It’s better than okay. You come here a lot?” He seemed to be more than familiar with the hotel and she doubted he got a lot of police calls here.
“My family does a fair amount of business with the resort. We refer them and they refer us. It works out well for everyone.”
It had never occurred to her before, but an adventure company offered luxury experiences the same way the Four Seasons did. The same way she did with her clothing.
“How about you? You come here a lot?”
“Not a lot, but I’ve been a few times before. We used to stay here when we were building the house.”
“They say a construction project can kill a marriage.” He let the sentence hang, but it was evident he was fishing for the reason she and Robert had broken up.
“It wasn’t what killed ours.”
“No?” He raised his brows in question.
She’d never told anyone about her ex’s unacceptable proposal and she wasn’t about to tell Colt Garner. “We grew apart.” A hundred percent true. Robert had accused her of losing interest in him and she hadn’t been able to refute his charges. They’d become more business partners than soul mates. “What about you? Were you ever married?”
“Nope. Never got there.”
“Do you date?”
The corner of his mouth curved up. “Why? You interested?” He was teasing, of course, but it didn’t stop her face from heating.
“Just curious, since you seem to work constantly.”
“There’s that,” he said. “And it’s a little difficult given the nature of my job.”
“Why?” Was he afraid he’d date someone who turned out to be a criminal and then have to lock her up?
“Like with that Facebook photo, my private life is up for public scrutiny. It’s easier to see women outside town.”
Reading between the lines, it sounded like the police chief was only interested in hookups. “So you’re a serial dater,” she asked. The notion that he was a player disappointed her. Why did men have a problem with monogamy? Or was she being sensitive because of Robert?
Before he could answer, a server came to take their drink orders. Delaney got an iced tea and Colt a beer. He seemed to know a lot about local craft brews.
When the server left, he said, “I’m not a serial dater. How about you?”
“Me?” The question caught her off guard. “I’m not a dater at all.”
“Still not over Robert?”
That’s the thing. She was totally over Robert, but he’d left her wounded and unsure of herself. “It’s more that I’m overwhelmed trying to get a new collection off the ground.” Trying to start completely from scratch.
“You’ll do it,” he said with confidence.
That took her aback. “Why are you so sure?”
His eyes moved over her dress, the action so intimate it felt like a caress. “You make that?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t pay a lot of attention to women’s clothing, to any clothing for that matter. But that dress ... well, let’s just say you could enslave the entire male population with it. Maybe that wasn’t your intention when you designed it, but you’re good. Incredibly talented.”
She’d had the top fashion critics in the world praise her designs, but none of their reviews thrilled her the way Colt’s just had. “Thank you.”
“It’s just the truth. Of course, you’re what makes the dress.” His eyes lit
on her again and suddenly her tongue became tied like a pretzel. When had grouchy, demanding Colt gotten so deft at giving compliments?
Luckily, the waiter came with their drinks and took their orders, relieving her of having to respond. Because there were no words for how good he’d made her feel.
“What’s going on with the mayor?” she asked when it got too quiet at the table.
“Last I checked, he was still an asshole.” He quickly scanned the room. “I shouldn’t have said that. Totally unprofessional.”
“Hey, it’s just the two of us. And I already thought he was an asshole.”
“It must be nice not having a boss,” he said, amused. “As far as Pond and me, the city council put him in his place. I doubt he’ll give me any more problems.”
“I’m glad,” she said. “You’re a good chief.”
“Thanks.”
The server brought their meals, they ate, talked, and when it came time to pay the bill, Colt grabbed it.
“I wouldn’t have suggested going out if I’d known you were going to pay. Come on, Colt, let me get this. It’s the least I can do.”
Despite her protests, he handed his credit card to the waiter.
“Are you one of those guys who can’t let a woman pay for him?”
“Nope. Are you one of those women who can’t let a man pay for her?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to decide if he was just playing with her. “Fine,” she said. “But next time it’s my turn.” And she hoped there would be a next time because maybe she enjoyed outdoor activities after all. Or maybe she just enjoyed her neighbor.
Colt drove them home, and when he left her at her door she again was sad to lose his company. He’d been attentive and funny and unbelievably sweet.
She trudged upstairs, changed into a baggy pair of shorts and T-shirt, and entered her studio, hoping to summon some of those creative juices Colt said she would get from her day communing with nature. He had funny ideas about inspiration. But at this point she was willing to try anything.