She closed the door behind her and followed her father to the living room.
“Charlie, it’s good to see you, sweetheart.” Her father wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her again. This time there wasn’t a patient waiting, so he held on to her for a long while.
“I’m so sorry I waited so long.”
“But you’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
“You look great, Dad.” She pulled him to the couch and sat next to him. “How are you feeling?”
He smiled. “I was feeling old, but now I’m feeling ten years younger. What got you here?”
“Agatha.”
Her father’s white brows lifted toward the ceiling. “That one is a meddler, but she’s a good woman.”
“I’m glad you found someone.” Charlie could see that he was struggling with what to say about Agatha.
“No one will ever replace your mother.” He cupped her face and smiled.
“No, but that doesn’t mean there’s not room in your big heart for another.” Charlie never thought she’d be able to say those words, but seeing her father made her want everything that was good in the world to come his way, including love.
“What about you? Is there anyone special in your life?”
The first person to come to her mind was Trig. It was a silly thought because she didn’t know him, but she did think he was special, and it had nothing to do with his missing leg.
“No, I think it’s hard to find love in this world.”
He laughed boldly and vibrantly. “I’m not too old, and I’m not blind. You’ve grown up to be a beautiful woman. You look so much like your mother. There’s no doubt you’re turning heads everywhere you go.” He looked over his shoulder toward the hallway. “Hell, you knocked that poor man off his leg.”
Charlie smiled. “He seems like a nice guy.”
“Couldn’t say, I’ve only seen his surly side, but I imagine he’s had a tough go of it.” Her father looked into her eyes. “People are quick to judge and slow to forgive.”
Charlie knew that was a message to her. “I’m learning.”
Doc rose from the couch. “Aren’t we all? Let’s meet at the diner in the morning for breakfast. Dalton makes the best pancakes in town.”
“Dalton Black is still here?”
Her father nodded. “Where else would he go? There’s nothing you can’t find in Aspen Cove, including good pancakes.”
Charlie walked her father to the door. “I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too, Charlie girl.”
She lifted to her tiptoes to plant a kiss on lips she hadn’t felt in a decade. When she closed the door, she wandered back to Trig’s room. She opened the door and was greeted by silence and darkness.
“Good night, Trig,” she whispered. Just as she closed the door she added, “I’m not who you think I am. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Chapter Six
Sweat rolled off his forehead as Trig sat up with his heart lodged inside his throat. He rarely had dreams or flashbacks, but when they hit him, it was like being dipped into the fiery cauldrons of hell.
He tossed the covers from his body and let the cool morning air wash over his skin. Clovis lifted his head and gave Trig a one-eyed stare. One-eyed because his right eye was swollen shut.
“Hey boy, what did you get into?” When they had left California, Clovis was fine. He’d slept for most of the trip and only gotten out when he needed to pee. Trig considered the diet change, but could he be allergic to carrots? Maybe it was the grain-free salmon kibble. The damn stuff cost thirty bucks a bag, so it better not be the dog food.
He pulled the dog to his chest. At close to seventy-five pounds it wasn’t an easy feat.
“Let me see that eye.”
Trig gave it a good look and knew he’d have to find a veterinarian. He thought about Charlie, but after the way he’d behaved last night, Charlie was the last person he wanted to see.
Had he heard her correctly when she peeked into his room last night? She had whispered something about not being who he thought she was. Hell, all women were who he thought they were. They were the only subjects he didn’t lie to himself about. He’d never be anyone’s everything because there were pieces of him physically and emotionally that he’d never get back.
He thought about his girlfriend. The one he had when it all went down. She was a soldier like him. She knew the risks and despite knowing, she’d still walked away.
He’d never forget her last words. “I can’t be with you. When they took your leg, they took my dreams.”
Like Trig, Lila was a fitness fiend, and she never missed the big marathons. It was why he’d trained so hard for the Rock and Roll Marathon. He knew she’d be there.
He petted Clovis’ soft fur as he closed his eyes and remembered the look on her face when he’d raced past her. She’d struggled to keep up but caught up to him after the race.
“Wow, look at you,” she’d said. “You’re in great shape.” That’s when he realized that to Lila, he was simply arm-candy. The more people that came over to introduce themselves, the closer she got to him.
“I lost some weight,” he’d replied.
“Really? You look just as fit and sexy as always.”
“No, really, I took off a hundred and ten pounds of careless bitch.” He left her there with her mouth hanging open. It wasn’t his finest moment, but it had felt good. One more look at Clovis and he was up and moving.
While he wasn’t keen on seeking the help of Charlie, he loved his dog more than he feared her rejection.
Once showered and dressed, he put on his good leg and ventured into the kitchen where coffee was made, and muffins along with fruit, yogurt, and a crockpot of something sat on the table.
“It’s breakfast casserole,” Cannon said from behind him. “I made it, so it’s safe to eat.”
“You making the dish is the deciding factor?” He took a disposable cup from the counter and poured a cup of morning happiness.
“If you tasted anything Sage made, you’d understand. Although, now that the culinary school is open, and they sell take and bake, no one has been poisoned or starved to death.”
Trig opened the pot and the smell of bacon, eggs, and cheese greeted him. At his foot, Clovis whined because while he didn’t see it, he smelled the bacon, and there was little he wouldn’t do for a bite.
“Not for you, buddy. All you get is a bowl of kibble.”
Cannon showed him the pantry where they’d put Clovis’ food. He poured him a bowl, only to have the dog sniff it and walk away.
“What’s with his eye?”
“I’m not sure. I think he might have poked it when he rushed to the woods to pee yesterday. Is there a vet nearby?”
Cannon laughed. “Yep, but she left for the diner about an hour ago. Other than Charlie, there’s no one. You’d have to go to Copper Creek or Silver Springs. Both over the pass, and it’s still snowing.”
Trig looked out the window toward the lake. There was at least six more inches of snow since he’d climbed into bed.
Cannon held his cell phone to his ear. “Hey Charlie, can you take a look at Clovis? His eye looks pretty bad.”
Trig did everything he could to stop Cannon from asking.
“Let me talk to her.” He really had no choice. Clovis needed care, and Trig was stuck in the mountains without a car.
Cannon handed over the phone.
“Hey Charlie, sorry to bother you. I know you’re getting reacquainted with your dad, but do you think you can take a peek at Clovis’ eyes at some point?”
“Good morning, Trig, hang on a sec.” He heard muffled conversation, but couldn’t make out the words. “Bring him to the clinic.”
“You sure?”
“You need me to come and get you?”
Trig took another glance out the window. He knew his dog would never make the mile or so walk into town. That’s when Cannon shook a set of keys in front of his face. He swiped t
hem and mouthed the words ‘Thank you’. “Nope, I’ve got it. On Main Street, right?”
She gave him the directions and Trig hung up.
“You sure you won’t need your truck?”
“Nope, I’ll be in the garage whittling last-minute ornaments for Katie’s family. They single handedly buy everything I make. Next summer, Sage and I are going to build a dock. Maybe we’ll even get a boat someday with the money I earn from those ornaments alone.”
“What’s that feel like?”
Cannon pulled the top off of a muffin. A chunk dropped to the floor. Clovis wasted no time in gobbling it up. He couldn’t be upset at the dog. Food always comforted an injury. Hell, Trig had gone on the no-peanut-butter-cup-left-behind diet for almost three months until he figured out the extra weight would never be a good thing for his current condition. That’s when he went on the carrot and salmon plan like Clovis, but Trig’s came in filets.
He carried his dog to the truck and got him situated before he climbed inside and gave the key a turn. The truck coughed and sputtered and spit a black cloud of smoke into the frigid air. He backed out and headed for town.
As he pulled into the parking spot in front of the pharmacy, he caught sight of Charlie out of the corner of his eye.
She smiled as she approached and opened his door. “Have you eaten?”
Warm feelings flooded his senses. She’d never once glanced at his leg when he exited the truck. Her eyes stayed on his face.
“I had some of the breakfast casserole Cannon made.”
“Tomorrow you have to have pancakes with me.” She pointed at Maisey’s Diner. “Dad was right, Dalton makes the best pancakes ever.”
“You’re asking me to breakfast?”
She reached past him and hefted Clovis from the seat. “Seems neighborly since I did steal your dog and then booby-trap my room so you couldn’t take him back.”
“Booby-trap?”
She hugged Clovis to her chest. Damn dog was getting the full-on cleavage crush and Trig felt a bit jealous. Maybe he should poke his eye and see if she hugged him to her breasts. He hated thinking about her breasts because that brought thoughts of her jumping out of bed last night in nothing but a thin T-shirt and panties. And he saw those perky nipples jutting out like they were offering themselves up for a taste.
She readjusted Clovis. The dog had to weigh almost as much at her. “I’m careless with my stuff. I dropped my suitcase by the door and fell into the bed.”
“You did change.”
She blushed. “Generally, I wear more to bed, but I was too tired to bother. Sorry you got an eyeful.”
“Thanks for the eyeful. Best view of the day.” He followed her to the pharmacy. Off to the right, there was a waiting room.
“This wasn’t here when I left. There used to be a hallway lined with folding chairs, but since Lydia came on board, there have been a lot of changes.”
Trig moved through the empty waiting room and into an exam room. It smelled of antiseptic and fear. He hated hospitals and doctors’ offices.
“Who’s Lydia?”
“Oh, I guess she’s Sage’s sister and they help run the clinic. They stay open Monday through Thursday. Since it’s Friday, we don’t have to wait for a room.”
Charlie put Clovis on an exam table. “Can you hold him so he doesn’t fall off?”
She rummaged through some drawers until she found what she wanted. Trig watched her every move. “I’m sorry I was short with you last night. I’m sensitive about my condition.”
She laughed. “I would be too if I were tall and sexy. It’s not a condition I suffer from, but I can see what a bummer that would be.”
He held the dog while she opened his eyes and took a look. She searched her father’s cabinets for some drops. “Made for humans but it should work.” She held up the dropper bottle. “It’s a dye that will let me see if his cornea is scratched. That’s my guess.”
“Makes sense. He yelped when he ran into the woods to do his business.”
“Pine needle probably.” She opened his eye and put a few drops inside. Poor Clovis pawed at her hand until she gave him a firm reprimand and he settled down.
“Can we back up a few seconds?”
She looked up at him and smiled. “You want to backtrack to my lack of clothes or you being hot and sexy?” She pulled some ophthalmic ointment from a cabinet and laid a rope of it under the dog’s eyelid.
“Now I’m hot, tall, and sexy.” He liked this woman more each minute because, while she knew he was less, she made him feel like he was more.
She stood back and looked at him. “Yes, I’d say all three of those are accurate descriptors.” She gave Clovis a pat on the head. “He should be okay, but let’s keep an eye on it anyway. Infection is always possible and dangerous.”
“Roger that,” Trig said. He knew all about infection. There were points in his recovery where he thought he’d lose his whole leg due to infection. “What do I owe you?” He reached for his wallet.
She walked in front of him and gripped his arms. “How about breakfast tomorrow?”
“That’s all you want? Breakfast? Surely I owe more than that.”
Her smile lit up the room. “Friends help friends.”
He lifted a brow. “Are we friends?”
She giggled. “I’ve spent more time alone with you than I have with anyone in years. I’d say that’s the start of a friendship.”
“What about guys? Surely you have a boyfriend.”
She let out a laugh so loud it startled Clovis. “I’m not really great with men.”
“You like women?”
She shook her head. “No, I mean as friends for sure. I love men, but I had so many issues with my dad that I knew I’d never be able to have a relationship until I made amends with him.”
“Daddy issues?” He picked Clovis up and hugged him to his chest.
“No, trust issues.”
Trig nodded. He knew a great deal about trust issues. “I get it.”
She sprayed the table and cleaned up the mess she’d made. “What about you? You have a girlfriend?”
It was his time to laugh. “I have trust issues, too.”
“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” She left the room and they went back into the pharmacy, where an older woman stood behind the register. Charlie reached for two packages of peanut butter cups. “What’s your poison?” she asked.
“Brunettes who love dogs, peanut butter and chocolate,” he mumbled. He reached for his wallet and paid for Charlie’s candy.
“You must be Trig,” the older woman said. She turned to Charlie. “You’re right. He is handsome.”
“Thanks, Agatha. Nothing like embarrassing a girl.” She palmed the candy bars and rushed outside.
Trig followed close behind. “You’re embarrassed?”
“Well, I should be, but I can’t be upset at her. She’s the one that got me to come back to Aspen Cove.”
“Maybe I should go in and give her a big thank you hug and kiss.”
Charlie walked to Cannon’s truck. She pulled her lower lip into her mouth. “You could or you could kiss me.”
Trig nearly dropped Clovis. He barely got him into the car before he turned around. “You want me to kiss you?”
She stared at his lips. “Crazy, right? But I kind of do.”
“Kind of?”
She rolled her pretty blue eyes. “Do you want me to beg?”
“That might be nice.” When was the last time a woman begged him for anything?
“You may be all those things I said earlier, but you’re not nice.”
He pulled her to his chest. “I can be real nice if properly motivated.” He lifted her chin and brushed his lips across hers. She tasted like honey and happiness. For the first time in a long time Trig felt the warmth of hope ease into his heart.
Chapter Seven
What the hell was she doing? “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. Maybe it’s the altitude. The lack of oxygen. I
don’t ask strangers to kiss me.”
Trig wrapped his arms around Charlie’s waist. “We’re not strangers.”
“I know, but I don’t know you well, and I don’t want you to think I’m cheap or easy.”
Trig chuckled. “Cute, sexy, and forgiving are the words I thought of first. Cheap or easy never crossed my mind.” He thumbed her chin so she was forced to look at him. “While I’d love to kiss you—really kiss you, I’ll wait until you ask me again. I’m a good kisser, Charlie. You won’t want to miss one.” He smiled and opened the truck door, then climbed inside, leaving the door ajar.
She let out a disappointed breath. “My last kiss was awful.”
“Who did you kiss?”
Her head hung. “It’s not that I kissed him. More like he trapped me under the mistletoe and kissed me.”
“I can’t blame the guy. Who wouldn’t want to kiss you? Tell you what, rather than ask, I’ll wait for you to kiss me.” He touched his soft full lips. “These will be waiting and ready when you are.”
“But I don’t ask strangers to kiss me.”
Trig looked behind her toward the bakery. “Let’s get a muffin and better acquainted.” He turned toward his dog. “You’ll be okay, buddy.”
She watched as he cracked the window open, climbed out of the truck, and closed the door behind him. “It’s Friday, and I’m told that means it’s raspberry muffin day.” He threaded his hand through her arm and walked her to B’s Bakery. He stopped outside and gently brushed off the few flakes of snow that had fallen on her hair. They entered to find Katie behind the counter.
“Couldn’t get enough of them, could you?” She plated up a few muffins, cookies, and one big dark chocolate brownie. “Two coffees?”
They both nodded, and Katie made two cups and brought them to the table under a corkboard labeled ‘The Wishing Wall’. “I’ll be in the back mixing if you need me.” She disappeared and left them alone.
“Brownies are my favorite.” Charlie picked off the crunchy edge and devoured it in seconds.
“You like brownies. What else?” Trig picked up a Christmas tree-shaped sugar cookie.
Seeing shaped Christmas cookies made her think of her mother. “I used to make cookies every year with my mother. On Christmas Eve, we’d sit outside and make a wish on the North Star.”
One Hundred Christmas Kisses (An Aspen Cove Romance Book 6) Page 4