AspenTrilogy (Boxed Set)

by Cindy Stark

  Her wounded car cruised into the gravel lot with no trouble at all, and luckily, she found a parking space near the entrance.

  Her black skirt, lavender silk tank, and black jacket weren't exactly bar attire, but she'd decided the moment she'd pulled into the lot she didn't care. Wouldn't care about anything for the rest of the night. She would have a drink, maybe some food and let some of the town partiers absorb her restless energy before she went home and fell into bed. She could worry about work tomorrow when she'd rested and had a clearer head.

  Her leather pumps crunched on the snow-crusted gravel as she headed toward the front door. When she tugged open the entrance to the bar, a rush of warmth and 80s rock music surrounded her and welcomed her inside.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  People packed the small tavern. Tables held the maximum number of occupants, and it would be hard to fit another couple on the dance floor. With winter upon them, there wasn't much else to occupy the fine citizens of Aspen. They could stay hunkered down in their homes, risk driving into Pinecone or Roosevelt for a greater selection of social activities, or go to Swallow's Bar and Grill.

  Sadly, she'd usually chosen to stay home.

  Katy eyed a corner of the bar where she was pretty sure she could squeeze in. She elbowed her way between two older cowboys, and one of them was kind enough to give his seat to her.

  A young female bartender complete with ample cleavage and a cowboy hat approached her. She turned her pink glossed lips into a smile, flashing a cute set of dimples. "What can I get ya?"

  Looking like that, Katy was sure the girl had earned some healthy tips from the men around her. "I don't know. I want something wild and exotic. What do you suggest?"

  The girl nodded. "Needing a little excitement, huh? Something to break the monotony of the work week?"

  Katy laughed. "Apparently I'm not the first to bring her troubles to the bar."

  "Nope." The girl shook her head. "Happens all the time." She studied Katy. "You look like a Screaming Orgasm would fix you right up."

  Boy, would it ever. "Bring it on."

  The girl smiled. "Coming right up."

  The bartender delivered a carmel-colored concoction with a pink umbrella clinging to the edge. "You look like the umbrella type."

  She probably did wearing her office clothes. "Could be." She smiled and gave the girl a nice tip.

  She swirled the wooden tip of her garnishment around in her drink a couple of times before slipping it between her lips. Sweet was her first impression. She took a tiny swallow. The creamy drink tasted more like a decadent dessert than alcohol. "That's really good," she said to no one in particular.

  The grizzled cowboy to her right elbowed her. "I think you're supposed to drink it pretty fast." His deep voice and bushy mustache reminded her of Sam Elliott.

  Katy drew her brows together. "Are you sure?"

  He shrugged. "I've seen some of the youngsters in here do it. Up to you."

  She glanced at the creamy drink again. "Okay, then. Here's to something." She lifted her glass. She didn't even know how to make a proper toast.

  "How about here's to meeting strangers in bars and turning them into friends?"

  "I like it. Here's to us." She drank it as fast as she could, the icy liquid giving her a brain freeze. "Sweet Mary, that's cold." She put her hands to her head trying to stave off the pain.

  Her newfound friend laughed and slapped her lightly on the back. "Relax and let it work its magic. You'll be all right in a second."

  She did as he suggested and in a few moments, the concoction settled into a blazing ball that heated her stomach and radiated outward. Her limbs loosened, and she let her shoulders drop, surprised at how much tension she'd held in them.

  "Feeling it?" the older guy asked.

  She grinned. "Oh yeah. This is good. I'll have another," she called to the waitress.

  "You finished it already?"

  Katy nodded, feeling pretty proud of herself. The girl shrugged and brought her another.

  She downed it like she had the first one as a nice buzz settled over her. This time the cold didn't affect her head as much. "Bring me another."

  Sam chuckled. "Uh, you might want to slow down just a bit."

  "Sure, I'll get that for you. Give me a few minutes." The girl turned and headed to the other end of the bar. Katy squinted and leaned forward on the counter, suddenly feeling more comfortable in her chair. "Is that her ass peeking out the bottom of those short shorts?"

  "Mmm-hmm." The cowboy turned his lips into a cocky smile. "Why do you think I picked this spot?"

  Katy gave his shoulder a soft punch as sat back in her seat. "You're a dirty, old man."

  "I may be. But if she's going to show it, I'm sure as hell going to look."

  "I guess I would, too, if I were you."

  "What the hell are you talking about? You did look."

  A burst of laughter escaped her lips. "I guess I did." She was surprised how much she enjoyed the older man's company. "I don't think she wants to give me another drink."

  "She probably doesn't want you puking on her bar. How about if I order a beer and sneak it to you?"

  She giggled, feeling lighter than she had all week. "Okay."

  The bartender delivered the ill-gotten drink and then shook her head a few minutes later when she caught Katy drinking it. The girl eyed Katy's new friend. "You two are going to have to find someone to drive you home if you keep it up."

  "I've got it handled," Sam said.

  A whisper of a touch caressed Katy's ear. "What are you doing in my bar?" a familiar voice asked.

  Katy leaned back on her stool and half-turned, holding on to the bar for support. The devil who'd haunted her dreams all week stood behind her. "Scott." She turned farther, her knees bumping into Sam, her vision swirling along with the barstool.

  The older man rested a hand on her bare knee as though to steady her. "Don't even try to steal her from me, Beckstead."

  "She's already gone, Peterson." Scott turned Katy until she faced him and then helped her from her stool.

  She wobbled on her heels, and Scott pulled her closer to him for support. "Whoa, those drinks were really potent." She blinked a few times and tried to clear her vision.

  Scott snorted. "I think it's time for you to go home, Angel."

  Sam whose real name was apparently Peterson stood along with her. "Maybe the lady doesn't want to leave."

  Katy smiled at Scott. "We were having a great time. This is my new friend, Sam."

  The older man raised a brow at her.

  "I mean Peterson. And the bartender gave me screaming orgasms, and…" Wow, the music was really loud.

  "Really, Becky?"

  The girl shrugged. "It's a bar, Scott. We serve alcohol, and she wanted to blow off some steam. How was I to know she couldn't hold her booze? Besides, she looks much better now than when she walked in."

  "It's true," Katy said, except for the fact the room was a little off balance. "I'm much better with my new friends."

  Scott took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "Do you realize your new friend here is trying to get you drunk and hoping to take advantage of you?"

  "No." She shook her head, not believing a word of it. She glanced at Sam, who smiled and gave her a sheepish grin. "Really?"

  "You can't blame a guy for wanting to get to know a beautiful woman better."

  "Just like you can't blame a guy for looking at a bartender's ass when it hangs out." She snickered.

  Sam shrugged and smiled.

  "You've been checking out my ass, Peterson?" Becky asked.

  Scott tossed Katy's arm over his shoulder and placed a strong arm around her waist. "Come on. Let's get you home."

  "Don't tell me you don't have the same thing on your mind, Beckstead," Sam challenged, and Katy glanced at her savior to read his expression.

  "Difference is, I don't take advantage of drunken women."

  That was too bad, Katy thought as Scot
t helped her to the door. He paused long enough to toss his keys to someone. "Follow me, huh?"

  Katy couldn't see who followed them out the door, and quite frankly, she didn't care. Her bad boy, the one she should avoid at all costs, held her in his arms. The only place she really wanted to be.

  "Which car is yours?"

  She tried to focus, but the alcohol had snatched a good portion of her sanity. "It's the cute maroon Rio with only one headlight. I crashed it into a big truck. One of your trucks, I think."

  "I believe you're correct."

  "So sorry about that. I don't think I hurt it, though. Not your truck, 'cause it's so big."

  "It's okay. We can talk about it later."

  "I didn't really want to be at the bar," she said as he helped her into her car. "I just needed to do something different. Something wild. This week was hell."

  He shut her door and walked around to the driver's side. "Why didn't you call me? If you need a wild time, I'm your man."

  "That's what I'm afraid of. Hotty Scotty can steal your virginity in five minutes."

  He shook his head and laughed. "I haven't heard that name since high school." He started the car and then turned to her. "Are you saying you're still a virgin, Katy?"

  "No." She'd lost that back in college.

  "Then I guess you have no reason to be afraid of me."

  She thought for a minute. Everything he said made perfect sense. "You are so right. Why didn't I consider that before?"

  CHAPTER SIX

  Morning light teased behind her eyelids, but at the moment, Katy couldn't consider opening her eyes. She was afraid if she did, the brutal pain encircling her head would explode through her body.

  She probably deserved it. There were enough memories tagging along with the ache inside her head to remind her of the prior evening. She'd wanted to unwind a little after her hard week, but she'd ended up completely unraveling and making a fool of herself flirting with a man old enough to be her father. He was kind of cute, though.

  Then there was Scott. She couldn't even think about him right now.

  She lay there for a while longer before someone pounded on her front door. "Go away," she mumbled. She glanced at her clock and found it well past ten, but there was no way she was dragging her sorry butt out of bed to see who wanted to bother her. She'd had enough bothering the past week to last her a lifetime. It was Saturday, a day that no one owned but her.

  The knocking finally stopped, and she rolled over in relief.

  "Hello?" a female voice came from the direction of the front door.

  "Please, God. No," she whispered as she pulled the pillow over her head. Maybe her mother wouldn't notice the lump in her bed and leave.

  "Katherine Eleanor Rivers. What are you still doing in bed?" Her mother jerked her pillow from her face, sending harsh morning light into her sensitive eyes. "Are you sick?"

  "No, I'm not sick. I'm sleeping. I'm also an adult woman in my own home, and you have no right to come barging into my room like you did when I was a teenager. I gave you a key for emergencies only."

  "How do I know this isn't an emergency? You didn't answer your phone or your door. How am I supposed to know someone hasn't snuck in here and murdered you in the middle of the night? I still don't think it's right for a young woman to live alone."

  Katy snatched back her pillow and held it to her chest as she sat up in bed. "What did you need, Mom?"

  Her mother shrugged as though offended. "Aunt Lana and I are headed into Roosevelt to do some Christmas shopping. I thought maybe you'd like to go with us."

  She dropped her head into her palm, covering her eyes. She was such a bad daughter. Her mother only wanted to spend time with her. "I'm sorry, Mom. I have a horrible headache and don't really feel like going anywhere today." That included getting out of bed.

  Her mom sat on the edge of the mattress, searching her daughter's face. "You don't look very well. Are you sure it's just a headache? You might be coming down with something." She placed a cool hand on her forehead. "You feel a little warm."

  "I don't know. Maybe." Her illness didn't stem from a virus, but she couldn't very well tell her mother she'd gotten plastered at the bar the night before. Her mom would never recover from the disappointment. "I just feel like I need to rest today. This week was a tough one."

  "I know." Her mother patted her hand. "But we're so proud of you for getting that promotion."

  "It's not a promotion, Mom."

  "That's not what I heard. Nelly said—"

  "Mom." She held up a hand. "I know what the rumors are, but Mr. Winward said temporary, so that's what I'm going by until I hear otherwise."

  "Fine, dear." Her mother stood. "You rest. I'll call later to check on you. Keep your phone turned on, or I'll be driving over here again."

  Katy nodded. "I will." That would be one request she wouldn't forget.

  Her mom hugged her and left.

  She fell back on the bed, tucking her pillow beneath her pounding head. As she pulled the covers up to her chin, she realized, she was still dressed in her lavender silk shirt. Her black skirt, too. Sweet Mary. She still wore yesterday's clothes, and her mother hadn't noticed.

  Somewhere, there was an angel watching out for her.

  Her phone rang again, and she flailed a hand over to her nightstand to retrieve it. She slid her finger down the screen to answer the phone. "What did you forget, Mom?"

  "I'm pretty sure I'm not your mother," a male voice responded from the other side.

  Katy jerked the phone from her ear and took a moment to actually focus on the screen. Scott-cell. "Scott."

  "It is. How did you know?"

  "I recognized your voice." She wasn't about to tell him she had his number already programmed into her phone.

  "Good. I like that."

  She could picture him smiling that killer smile of his on the other end of the line. "How did you get my number?"

  "You gave it to me last night." He paused for a moment. "Several times."

  She groaned and closed her eyes, wishing the winter snow didn't reflect so brightly in her room.

  "How are you feeling today?"

  "Eh," she squeaked. "Maybe a little under the weather."

  "Or maybe a lot."

  There was no sense in hiding it. "Okay. A lot."

  "There are two ibuprofen next to the water bottle on your nightstand. Take them. Wait thirty minutes. Then there's something I mixed up for you last night waiting in your fridge. Shake it and drink it all."

  "What's in it?"

  "I'm not going to tell you, but it will make you feel better."

  "The last time I drank a concoction with unknown ingredients, I ended up like this."

  "That's what you get for trusting the wrong people. Now, do what I say, and you can thank me later."

  "Okay. Thank you so much." She'd drink anything if it would make her head stop throbbing.

  "I mean it."

  "I said okay."

  "No, I literally mean you can thank me later. In person. You should be feeling like your old self about four o'clock. I'll be at your house then, and we're going to do something wild just like you wanted. See you then."

  The line went dead. Katy looked at her phone, and sure enough, the call had ended.

  She buried her face in her pillow. This day would kill her. She lifted long enough to find the pills and water he'd left for her. She swallowed them and prayed they'd kick in quickly.

  Wild? What kind of wild did he mean?

  A visual of him laughing after she'd called him Hotty Scotty surfaced from her hazy memories. She remembered them discussing her virginity and him telling her that since she'd lost hers, she didn't have anything to fear from him.

  "Oh, God." She'd have to dig deep to face him after that discussion.

  * * *

  Katy made sure she called her mom at three to let her know she was feeling much better. A phone call now could save her a heap of trouble later. After that, she hit redi
al on Scott's number.

  "You're not canceling on me," he answered. "I'll use blackmail if I have to, and trust me, after last night, I have plenty."

  She laughed. "What happened to people saying hello?"

  "Hmm…" His voice rumbled across the line in a sexy way that sent tingles through her. "Okay. Hello, Angel."

  She rolled her eyes, but had to admit she loved the way he said it. "Is that how you talk to all the girls?"

  "All what girls? You're the only one I've been thinking about."

  He was good. Had he really been thinking about her all afternoon like she'd thought of him? "Enough of the sweet talk. It's not going to work on me."

  "We'll see. If you're not calling me to cancel, then what's up?"

  "This date that you've informed me of. Could you at least give me an idea of what we're doing?" She flung a hand outward even though he couldn't see it. "I have no idea how to dress."

  His deep, rich chuckle came across the line. "I told you, we're doing something wild."

  "I know that much, but what exactly?"

  "Does that make you nervous? Not knowing what I'm going to do with you?"

  "No." Yes. Every thought she had of them doing something wild started with both of them losing their clothes. She rustled up a cool composure in order to bury her thoughts. "Stop teasing me and give me a hint."

  "Jeans and a warm coat ought to do. Warm boots if you have any. I wouldn't want your toes to get cold."

  "We'll be outside?" Where could he possibly take her?

  "I'm not saying anything else. See you in thirty minutes."

  She glanced at the time as she clicked off her phone. She'd better scramble, or she'd never make it.

  * * *

  Scott arrived at her door promptly at four, unfamiliar nerves pricking him. Back when he and Katy had been in school, he hadn't been all that reliable. But he'd changed. He'd put that idiotic behavior behind him and was now a respectable business man.

  He only hoped Katy would see it.

  When she'd canceled their date earlier in the week, he'd been certain his past had caught up to him once again. There was an obvious chemistry between them, so he'd assumed she'd judged him based on his old reputation. Now, he wasn't so sure. Maybe he did have a chance with her after all.