“It was after your parents were killed that you left town, wasn’t it?”
The surprise he felt must have been reflected in his expression, because she explained, “I’ve worked with Annie for almost three years, and when Dan came back—just a few months before you did—it sent her whole life into a tailspin. And sometimes, if we were on break together, she’d talk to me about it.”
“So how much of the story do you know?” he wondered.
“I don’t know all the details—and most of those that I do know are from her perspective. Essentially that you, Luke and Dan were of legal age, and your grandparents decided that you were able to take care of yourselves so they didn’t have to.”
He nodded. “That about sums it up,” he agreed. “What really sucks is that we all assumed that Sunshine Farm would be lost. Our parents struggled for a lot of years and without my dad around to run the ranch, we couldn’t imagine making a go of it. If we’d known that the mortgage was insured, we might have stayed.” Then he shook his head. “Who am I kidding? We wouldn’t have stayed. We couldn’t have. Not after that night.”
That night was the night both of his parents had been killed by a drunk driver. And the events of that night continued to haunt him and would undoubtedly do so forever.
“Look,” Serena said, holding out a hand to catch a delicate flake on her palm. “It’s snowing.”
“So it is,” he agreed, noting the fluffy flakes falling from the sky. “It’s also getting colder by the minute.”
“I know. I can’t feel my butt anymore.”
“I could feel it for you,” he suggested, in an obvious effort to lighten the mood.
“I appreciate the offer, but maybe another time,” she said, as she untangled her legs and rose to her feet. “We should be heading back now, anyway.”
“You’re probably right,” he agreed, understanding only too well that driving conditions on the mountain roads could turn hazardous quickly.
But as they turned back toward the trail, he asked, “Did Owl Rock work its magic for you today?”
She nodded. “It’s always so peaceful up here. But even better today was having someone to talk to.”
“Glad to be of service,” he told her.
At the top of the narrow trail, Bailey insisted on taking the lead so that he could check for slippery patches on the descent. But he also took her hand, to ensure she didn’t fall behind.
The weather in Montana wasn’t just unpredictable, it could change fast—and had done so while they were up at Owl Rock. By the time they got back to her vehicle, she had to pull her snow brush out to clear off her windows.
“You get in,” Bailey instructed. “I’ll take care of this.”
She didn’t object to that but handed him the brush and slid in behind the wheel, turning on the engine and cranking up the heat.
A few minutes later, Bailey put the brush away and took his seat on the passenger side.
“I’m happy to drive, if you want,” he told her.
Her only response was to shift into Drive and pull out of the gravel lot.
At the midway point of their return journey, Bailey said, “Since we almost go right past Wings To Go on our way back to the school, why don’t we stop in there to grab some dinner?”
“I can’t,” Serena said regretfully. “I’ve got animals waiting to be fed at home.”
“Do you have dinner waiting, too?”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t thinking that far ahead when I left home this morning.”
“Do you like wings?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Well, here’s an interesting fact about Wings To Go,” he said. “Customers can actually place an order...and then take it away from the restaurant.”
“No kidding,” she said, sounding bemused. “I’ll bet that’s what the To Go part of the name refers to.”
“And with that in mind, here’s plan B,” he said. “After you take me back to my truck and go home to feed your animals, I’ll pick up wings and bring them over to feed us. What do you think of that plan?”
“I think I like that plan,” she agreed. “Especially if it includes honey-barbecue wings.”
* * *
After dropping Bailey off at his truck in the elementary school parking lot, Serena hurried home. Not just because she knew Marvin, Molly and Max would be waiting for her, but because she wanted to tidy up a little before Bailey showed up. She didn’t think her apartment was a mess, but earlier in the day she’d been so focused on the anticipation of seeing Bailey that she honestly couldn’t remember if she’d left her lunch dishes in the sink or her pajamas on the floor in the bathroom.
As she raced around the apartment, tidying a stack of mail on the counter, wiping crumbs—and a smudge of something sticky—off the table and pushing the Swiffer around, Marvin chased after her, delighted with what he assumed was a new game.
“It’s not a game, it’s housework,” she told him. “And I do this at least once a week.”
But she didn’t usually clean at such a frantic pace, and Marvin refused to believe she wasn’t playing with him.
She gave him his dinner, hoping the food would take his attention away from the Swiffer. The diversion worked—for the whole two minutes that it took him to empty his bowl. But she finished putting her apartment in order—and even managed to run a brush through her hair and dab on some lip gloss before she saw Bailey’s truck pull into one of the designated visitor parking spots at the back of the building.
Marvin raced toward the door a full half minute before the bell rang, having been alerted to the presence of a visitor by the sound of feet climbing the stairs. Though he could easily have gone through the doggy door to greet the newcomer, Serena had been strict in his training to ensure his safety and that of her guests. So now he waited in eager anticipation, his entire back end wagging.
“No jumping,” she admonished firmly as she opened the door.
Bailey’s eyes skimmed over her, a slow perusal from the top of her head to the thick wool socks on her feet. “I wasn’t planning on jumping,” he drawled. “But I can’t deny that the idea is intriguing.”
“Ha ha,” she said, taking the bag from his hands so that he could remove his boots.
As he reached down to unfasten the laces, Marvin whimpered.
“You must be Marvin,” Bailey said, and offered his hand for the dog to sniff.
Marvin sniffed, then licked, then shoved his snout into the visitor’s palm. Bailey chuckled and scratched the dog’s chin.
Serena set plates and napkins on the table. “What can I get you to drink? I’ve got cola, root beer, real beer, milk or water.”
“Cola sounds good,” he said.
“Glass or can?”
“Can works.”
She retrieved two cans from the fridge and set them on the table, then glanced back at the entranceway to discover that Bailey was sitting on the tile floor with Marvin sprawled across his lap. The dog’s belly was exposed and his tongue lolled out of his mouth as his new best friend gave him a vigorous belly rub.
She shook her head. “Such an attention whore.”
“I am not,” Bailey denied.
“I was referring to the dog.”
“Oh.” He gave Marvin a couple more rubs, then carefully heaved the dog off his lap and stood up. He made his way into the kitchen and washed his hands at the sink. Marvin kept pace with him, practically glued to his shin.
“I’m the one who feeds you,” Serena felt compelled to remind her canine companion.
Marvin wagged his whole body, but he didn’t move away from Bailey.
And when Bailey took a seat at the table, Marvin settled at his feet.
“I feel like I talked your ear off when we were up at Owl Rock today,” Serena said as she used the tongs to transfer sever
al wings from the box to her plate. “But the truth is, I don’t often talk about my sister or her disappearance. In fact, I doubt if more than a handful of people in this town even know what happened before I came to live with my grandmother all those years ago.”
“Your secrets are safe with me,” he promised.
“I’m not worried,” she said. “But I’m thinking that it’s your turn to tell me your life story.”
“There’s not much to tell.” He took the tongs she offered, then proceeded to pick out half a dozen wings. “And you already know the highlights.”
“I know why you went away, but I don’t know anything about where you went or what you did when you left Rust Creek Falls.”
“Me, Luke and Danny headed to Wyoming together and found work on a big spread in Cheyenne. We stayed there for about six months together before we parted ways.”
“Why?” she wondered aloud.
He shrugged. “Maybe because we had different goals and ambitions. Or maybe because we shared the same guilt and regrets.”
She picked a piece of meat off the bone. “Where did you go after Cheyenne?”
“Jackson Hole for a while, then Newcastle and Douglas.”
“So you stayed in Wyoming?”
“For a few years,” he acknowledged. “Then I made my way to New Mexico.”
“That was quite a move,” she remarked.
He licked honey-barbecue sauce off his thumb. “There was a girl,” he admitted.
“Ahh, I should have guessed.”
He shook his head. “I promise you, I’m not in the habit of chasing women halfway across the country. That was the first—and absolute last—time.”
“Putting aside the fact that New Mexico isn’t really across the county but directly south of Wyoming, she must have been someone really special.”
“Actually, she was my wife.”
Chapter Seven
Wife?
Serena nearly choked on a mouthful of cola.
Bailey watched her cough and sputter, his brow furrowed with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She coughed again. “I’m fine.” She took a careful sip of her soda. “I didn’t realize you’d been married.”
“Only because I was young and foolish enough to believe that love conquers all.”
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” she said. “But at least you were willing to take a chance on love.”
“I was young and foolish,” he said again.
“And now you’re old and wise?” she teased.
“Older and wiser, anyway. No way am I ever going to make that mistake again.”
“You don’t believe in love anymore?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, each of my brothers and even my sister Bella seems to have found a forever match, so maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m not capable of loving somebody that way.”
“You must have loved your wife.”
“I thought I did,” he acknowledged. “But in the end, whatever I felt for her wasn’t enough.”
“It takes two people to make a relationship work,” she pointed out. “Or allow it to fail.”
“So it would seem,” he agreed.
“Then again—” she picked up another wing “—what do I know?”
“You’ve never been in love?”
She shook her head. “The longest relationship I’ve ever had is with Molly.”
His brows lifted. “Molly?”
“My cat,” she reminded him.
“That’s right. You’ve got Marvin, Molly and...”
“Max,” she supplied.
“So where are Molly and Max?”
“Hiding,” she admitted. “They’re both leery of strangers. And—” she glanced at the bulldog under the table “—not attention whores.”
“Why all the animals?” he wondered aloud.
She shrugged. “I’ve always loved animals.”
“That would explain why you became a vet tech,” he commented. “Not why you’ve turned your home into a mini animal shelter.”
“And...they love me back. Unconditionally.”
“That’s something a lot of human beings have a problem with,” he said.
“Yeah. Sometimes even the ones who are supposed to love you.”
“Like your dad,” he guessed. “And my grandparents.”
She nodded. “All my animals want from me is a roof over their heads, food in their bowls, some interaction and playtime, and the occasional lazy Sunday morning snuggle in bed.”
“They sleep with you?”
“No. They have their own beds, but sometimes, if I’m feeling lazy and slip back between the covers after feeding them their breakfast, they’ll follow me into the bedroom and want to cuddle with me.”
“Even the cat?”
She nodded. “Molly is a surprisingly affectionate feline at times—at least with me,” she clarified. “And Max. She absolutely adores the bunny. She’s less fond of strangers.”
“Marvin doesn’t consider me a stranger,” he noted.
“Marvin is forever devoted to anyone who gives him an ear scratch or belly rub. Or t-r-e-a-t-s,” she said, purposely spelling the word so that the dog wouldn’t get excited about the possibility of getting one. “Which reminds me—I guess my bid didn’t win the Canine Christmas basket at the silent auction?”
Bailey shook his head. “You were outbid by Lissa Christensen.”
“That’s good for Presents for Patriots, but sad for Marvin,” she said.
“And then Lissa Christensen was outbid by me.”
“You bought the basket?”
He nodded.
“Why?”
“Because I know how much you wanted it,” he said.
“You bought it for me?”
“Well, for Marvin, actually.”
“That was really sweet,” she said, then laughed when he winced. “How much do I owe you? I don’t know how much cash I have, but I could write you a check.”
“You’re not writing me a check,” he protested.
“Worried it might bounce?”
He shook his head. “I mean you’re not paying for the basket.”
“But you bought it for my dog.”
“That’s right,” he said. “I bought it for you to give to him.”
“Then I’ll say thank you, and check Marvin’s name off my shopping list.”
“Yeah, I guess I should probably get started on mine,” he acknowledged.
“You haven’t even started your shopping yet?”
“It’s only December 4,” he pointed out.
“No,” she denied. “It’s already December 4.”
“To-may-to, to-mah-to,” he said.
“You’ll be saying something different when you’re fighting the frantic and desperate masses of last-minute shoppers at the mall on Christmas Eve.”
“I won’t wait until Christmas Eve. Probably.”
She shook her head despairingly. “I’m planning to go into Kalispell to do some shopping on Saturday,” she told him. “You’re welcome to come with me, if you want.”
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get a head start this year.”
“You’ll be one of the early birds,” she said dryly.
Bailey just grinned. Then he said, “Seriously though, I appreciate your offer to let me tag along.”
“It’s not a problem,” she assured him. “But you’re not allowed to complain if we’re gone most of the day.”
“I can’t make any promises there,” he said.
“Then I can’t promise that you’ll get a ride back home again.”
When all the wing bones had been picked clean and the dishes cleared away, Bailey thanked Serena for her hospitality and made his way
to the door.
He could have come up with an excuse to linger; he could have requested a cup of coffee before he hit the road or offered to take Marvin for a walk or asked her to turn on the TV to check the score of the game—because there was always a game of some sort playing—and then allowed himself to get caught up in the action on the screen for a while. But when he realized that he was searching for a reason to stay, he knew it was time to go. Because the more time he spent with Serena, the more he wanted to be with her, and that was a dangerous desire.
Besides, he was going to see her again on Saturday.
Yeah, Saturday was four days away, but maybe a little space and time was what he needed to give himself some perspective and remember that he wasn’t going to get involved.
Not with Serena. Not with anyone. Not ever again.
But when she walked him to the door, he was more than a little tempted to kiss her goodbye.
But she’d asked him to slow things down. She wanted to be friends. He had his doubts about that possibility—mostly because he really wanted to get her naked, and in his experience, lust tended to get in the way of friendship—but he decided to try it her way for a while.
So he didn’t kiss her goodbye, but the memory of the kiss they’d shared at Owl Rock teased his mind and heated his body as he climbed into his cold truck and drove away.
But before he could head back to Sunshine Farm, he had one more stop to make. He’d promised to return the costumes to Annie after the visit to the elementary school—a promise he’d nearly forgotten until he spotted the bulky bags in the back seat.
“There he is,” Annie said when she responded to his knock on the door.
“Who is it?” Janie asked from somewhere inside the house.
“Uncle Grooge,” her mother responded.
“Bah, humbug,” Bailey said, playing along as he held out the costume bags, and heard Janie giggle.
“Hmm...” Annie took the bags and stepped away from the door so he could enter. “That doesn’t sound quite as cynical as it did a few days ago. Maybe this suit has magic powers.”
He ignored her comment to focus on his niece, seated at the table with her schoolbooks open in front of her. “Homework?” he guessed.
Bring Me a Maverick for Christmas! Page 8