What If: A Small Town Big Love Novel

by Collins, Kelly

  “Okay now.” She pointed to the area behind him. “You have to sit where spectators sit.”

  He kissed her briefly, but with passion. “I love it when you get rid of me.”

  “Don’t go too far.” Her eyes were heavy with affection. “I’m sure I won’t be long.”

  But she was. That one buy-in lasted Lucy a long time. She beat all her competitors. When it was safe for her to do so, she looked at him waiting on the sidelines like a cheerleader. He endured the boring job of watching her have fun. Not once did he look uninterested. If this was a crush she had on him, it sure felt like love. The wonderful thing about crushes was they were exciting, full of passion, and temporary.

  She gathered up her long hair, pulled a hair tie out of her pocket, and knotted it out of the way. She had to make sure it wasn’t a distraction. If it fell in her face, she could miss the shot.

  Sometimes she wished she had the courage to chop it off. It was ridiculous the way she kept it as long as she did, hanging past her waist, but it was the one thing she had in common with her mother. Saying goodbye to her hair would be almost as painful as saying goodbye to her mom. When she saw how much John loved it, she knew she’d never take scissors to it for anything but a trim. So she had to put up with it.

  Because she’d played so many games in a row, the house allowed Lucy to take a fifteen-minute break. She went over to John.

  “I’m blown away,” he said, kissing her. “You’re talented. How does it work? Do you play until you lose?”

  “Are you getting bored?”

  “No. Have you won anything? I’m not following how it works.”

  “When I play all the players who paid for the tournament, I get half the prize.”

  “Oh, so you’ll lose your money otherwise?”

  “Yes, that’s how it works. Are you sure you’re not getting bored?” He leaned her head against his chest and she breathed him in. “I’m sorry. I was kind of impulsive and decided on this without truly considering what it would be like for you.”

  John pulled back when he got a text. He stopped their conversation to read it. His face changed.

  “Caleb ran into Maya and she’s drunk.”

  “How about you go tend to her?”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I should be done with this in an hour. I’ll call you when I’m finished and you can come get me, or I can walk back to the Miner’s Pick.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “No walking. I’ll come get you.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “Good luck.” He kissed her like he couldn’t get enough of her.

  Lucy’s break was up. She had five more players to beat. Nervous now that John was gone, she had second thoughts about having entered the game. The two of them were a romantic item for all of a minute, and she was already worried she was neglecting him.

  Her hands trembled as she held her cue. She got to break because she was the reigning champ. It was a crappy break, but the guy wasn’t a good shot. He sank a ball with a lot of flash and then he missed his next. She ran most of the table.

  She should have chalked her sweaty palms but didn’t. She missed her next shot. It had been a while since she’d played this much, and she was tired. Her goal was to walk into the B&B as the tournament winner, but her current opponent gave her a run for her money. She finally beat him but was afraid she’d come this close only to lose on the next round.

  She would have to take the next four games slow. After a deep breath, she wanted a gallon of alcohol to settle her nerves and quench her thirst, but that in and of itself was a gamble.

  She got to break. This time the break was flawless. Her prowess was revived through the remaining games until Lucy came out the victor. It had been a whim, and it had paid off. For about a minute, she felt like a winner through and through. It was one of the best feelings ever, besides being in John Blackwood’s arms.

  She texted him. It would have been so stupendous to have him there to see her sink the last ball, but she was almost as happy to report to him that she was, in fact, the champion. He called her as soon as he got the text.

  “Hi.” His tone wasn’t what she expected. Something told her that her spirits were about to sink.

  “Hi,” she said with banked enthusiasm.

  “I’ve called you a car using my app. Cal and I are trying to check Maya into rehab. Can I meet you back at the B&B? I’m a million times sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” She was sad about his news and disappointed he wasn’t coming back to get her. “You take care of her. Wishing her the best. I’ll call Deena and we can catch up if she’s still awake.”

  “She’s here with us. We’re at the emergency room. Caleb has this really. Maya’s brother is coming over to see what he can do. I promise I’ll be there shortly.”

  “No, you won’t,” she teased. “You will be there tall-y.” She played with the words to get a laugh from him.

  “You’re too cute. Thanks, I needed that.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  John

  John leaned his head back against a chair he was way too tall for, missing the woman he thought of as his “new girl.” To keep himself from yelling at his cousin, he replayed the afternoon they’d spent that day over in his head.

  She was spontaneous and spectacular, and she gave herself to him so sweetly. The way she owned a pool table was unreal. He was in awe of her. He’d never been so happy he decided to sell his town.

  He was about to drift off to sleep when his cousin Clem walked into the reception area of the small hospital. Samuel Clemens Blackwood. It was his favorite long-standing joke to ask why they couldn’t have called him Sam, but they didn’t. John rose to give Clem a hug.

  “How is she?” asked Clem.

  “She’s okay. They’re inviting her to stay here for thirty days.”

  “For what exactly?”

  “Cal and I think she’s gambling, and she’s definitely drinking. Cal’s been asking around and everyone says they see her at the casino all the time. Tonight, she’s had a few too many cocktails. Seems to be a habit.”

  “She should stay,” said Clem decisively. “Maybe they can get her to talk about Brad.”

  “Yep.” John’s throat constricted. He had not heard his late cousin-in-law’s name in some time. “Good plan.”

  “Listen,” Clem said. “You don’t have to stay here. I’ll relieve Caleb and you guys go do your thing.”

  They hugged one more time. John would have ordinarily waited for Caleb, but they both had women waiting. Caleb didn’t need him, but John needed Lucy. He texted her to let her know he was on his way. He missed her. It was absurd since he didn’t know her that well, but he did miss her.

  It was a good thing that he had been with Lucy when Caleb decided that Maya needed help. He and John both had smallish sports cars and they wouldn’t have fit. So, in this case, two cars were better than one but someday he’d have to trade the Roadster in for something more practical. He smiled at the thought of one day driving a family-sized car.

  * * *

  Lucy was asleep when he arrived at the B&B. The sweet woman was perched in the middle of the couch. Her splendid mane was resisting a makeshift knot that she’d devised for the pool game. She’d fallen asleep sitting up. John’s belly twisted with guilt. It was both a wonderful and awful scene to behold. Wonderful because she cared enough to wait up. Awful because she’d no doubt have a stiff neck by morning.

  She was so tired that she didn’t stir when he entered the place. He turned the knob of the dimmer switch to raise the lights in the room. Lucy lifted her eyes slowly like the curtains before a show.

  “Hey, baby”

  Her face was alert.

  “You’re back. How is she?”

  He knew Maya had been rude, and yet Lucy was concerned. “She was so mean to you and yet you care.”

  “Yes,” she blinked, still sleepy. “Though, I’ve never felt so much like poor mountain trash in my life, I
realize that she was lashing out. Seeing us together—seeing anyone happy together must hurt.”

  Her comment about being trash was like the backdraft of a fire. He had opened up a door and flames gushed out.

  “Wow.” He had no idea what she had been thinking. He would never have perceived the crack that way.

  “Lucy.” He swung over and sat beside her. “Is that how you see yourself? That is the furthest thing that comes to mind when I’m with you.”

  She leaned into him. “As a person who creates with words and pictures, I have to admire a concise use of the English language,” she said with a laugh. “I get why she said mean things. She’s hurting. I’m not harboring a grudge.”

  He wrapped his arms around her finally and pulled her close.

  She fit into his body perfectly. She was so warm and soft and smelled so good. He could press his nose to her hair and breathe her in forever.

  He felt the excitement in her when he mentioned pool. “Congratulations.”

  She smiled a sweet, soft smile of pride.

  “Thanks, I knew they had stuff up here, but I’ve never come to hang out.” Looking up at him, her eyes were animated and sparkling like gemstones. “I had one game where I thought I was going to lose. It was right after you left. I thought I’d lost my mojo.”

  “I have a feeling you’ve got more mojo, talent, and pizzazz than Cal, Deena, and me put together.”

  “Not really. My life speaks for itself.”

  The room changed swiftly, like a sudden drop of pressure. He had said the wrong thing.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He turned her so they were face to face.

  “If I have so much talent, mojo, and pizzazz, why am I not where you guys are? I don’t want much more than I have, but I would like steady.”

  John had to study her pretty face to fully get what she was referring to.

  “Let’s be honest. If the first J.M. Blackwood hadn’t beat the odds during the Colorado gold rush and all the generations between him and me hadn’t been consistent and careful, my world might have been different. You’ve made something. I inherited something. There’s a big difference.”

  And as he said those words, he fully realized the reason she’d reacted so strongly to his announcing the sale of the office space she rented. He thought she was being dramatic because businesses moved all the time. As it was, Blackwood wasn’t exactly the hottest place for business, but now he understood more deeply.

  He continued, “You make things all the time, with your writing and your art. And you just won a skills and talent contest. I don’t know how good a lawyer Deena is, so maybe winning on a case might be the same thing. None of the Blackwoods can say about ourselves what can be said about you.”

  He kissed her on the head. He was ready to change the subject and take her to bed.

  “Wow.” Her body relaxed against him. “Thank you for that.”

  He fussed with her knot of hair to liberate her gorgeous tresses but couldn’t do it. Her hair was damp. She must have jumped in the shower while she waited for him. The smell of her shampoo was like foreplay to his senses. He would have to figure out what it was and buy some.

  “Was I gone that long?”

  “What?”

  “You’re all bathed and fresh as a daisy.”

  She let go a small laugh and pointed out what she was wearing. A camisole and matching silk boxers.

  “Hellooo,” she asked with wide eyes.

  The sofa was plush, the lights were dim, and he’d come from family drama at the hospital, but John had not noticed Lucy in lingerie.

  “I apologize for being stupid and unobservant. I guess I have Maya on my brain. Let me fix that.”

  He pulled her close and kissed her softly.

  “Will she be okay?”

  “She’ll be fine. She’s hurt and angry and has turned to gambling and alcohol as her soothing balm. Let’s not talk about her. I want to focus on how pretty you look.” His jeans grew tighter.

  “I sweated the tournament literally. I couldn’t wait to bathe.”

  “Wouldn’t your hair dry faster down?”

  “Yes, but it’s not fun having long wet hair draped all over your body.”

  John froze with the sudden pleasurable image of Lucy with her hair striping her naked beauty like seaweed. She raised her hands to undo it for him. It spilled like the falls so close to where they were staying.

  It made him think. They were only in town for one night and now he wanted to buy her hiking shoes and take her on some of the trails. He was impatient to do so much with her.

  “Hey.”

  “Yes?” She smiled up at him, draping her legs across his thighs.

  “So, we never did get to do the spa thing,” he said. “You wanna stay another night here?”

  She was quiet, obviously thinking about it. It made him self-conscious that she didn’t jump at the invitation, so he joked.

  “Got any cats or dogs to feed? We can take as long or as little as you like, but it’s a cool town, and I was going to leave our trip open-ended.” He realized he was being selfish, but he wanted more of her.

  “I have work.”

  “I respect that.” Disappointment colored his voice.

  “But I guess another day wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Great. It’s not like this town is going anywhere. We can always come back.”

  She eyeballed him until he got the irony. He was selling what she thought of as her town. He changed the subject quickly.

  “Can we toast to your victory at Tommyknockers?”

  “Sure. I saw some orange flavored club soda in the kitchen I wanted to try.”

  He got up and broke out two glasses and ice. He set them down and poured. If he didn’t think Deena and Caleb could walk in any moment, he would flip on the remote-control fireplace and pull her to the floor.

  He walked the drinks back toward her, but she met him halfway in the middle of the living room. She wore the heels that he had requested she wear while they were alone. She had thought of everything.

  “Remind me to pay attention to what you are wearing,” he purred.

  He swept the back of her neck, draping the damp tendrils of her hair over his fingers. Something about her hair, damp or dry, was erotic for him. His desire for her was entwined with it, almost like a fetish.

  It lit a fire in him, consuming him with a powerful force that made him want to be inside of her. He lowered his lips, gliding his tongue through her mouth wantonly, plundering it with entitlement. John wanted to own her.

  He had to slow down. She had an effect on him that was strange and brutal. He looked into her sweet eyes to make sure he wasn’t running roughshod over her. They needed to be clear that this was what they both wanted.

  She was as impatient as he was to resume their kissing. Like they were of the same mind, she leaned into his shoulder as he swept up the back of her legs. She held tight around his neck as he carried her into the bedroom.

  John would have loved to bend her over the sofa or take her on the bearskin rug that was on the floor in front of the fireplace, but they did not have the place to themselves. If they stayed another night, they would go find a place of their own.

  He laid her on their bed and took a moment to open the curtains and let the full Colorado moon light her beautiful body. Because the curtains draped a door that led out to a terrace, surrounded by a privacy fence, they were in no danger of being seen. He would have never exposed her to anyone. Her beauty belonged to him and his eyes only.

  He lifted his shirt over his head quickly so he could drink in the sight of her. Something was happening to him. There was an invisible yet powerful connection he felt flowing between them. There was a bond forming. Something primal and possessive tethered him to her.

  By the look on her face, she felt it too. She sat up in bed and lifted the silky material from her body, revealing her nakedness. The creamy paleness of her skin glowed in the moonlight, which lit the
lines of her body to perfection.

  As her hair dried, the water-darkened strands lightened into highlights that framed her face. He wondered what she might look like with her naturally dark hair. With her light eyes, the blond hair suited her perfectly but the natural bits of dark were the same color as his. A crazy thought crossed his mind. He pictured children who would have her hair and her eyes.

  He bent to the mattress, pressing his palms to it, stalking her like an animal. Her legs parted, opening naturally so he could slide between her thighs. He trailed kisses from her lips to her nose, moving up her jawline to her ear. A lick inside and a nip at her lobe sent a visible shiver racing down her body.

  He tested every part he touched, learning where she was most sensitive, where he got a response, studying her reactions so he could pleasure her. He suckled the spot below her earlobe and watched as her back arched toward the ceiling.

  He wanted to sustain the moment, drawing out the passion for as long as he could and yet he was antsy to be inside her, to feel the bliss he’d experienced earlier that day. They had an intense physical chemistry. From the moment he’d seen her, they had a spark that only burned hotter with each moment they spent together.

  Lucy touched him. He loved the way her dainty hands felt as she rested them on his shoulders. He was dense and solid. She felt slight and light. Her fingers traced the muscles along his shoulders and lowered to grip his arms. Her touch unfurled electric swirls that tingled through him, arousing him, making him unbelievably hard.

  She trailed the tips of her fingernails on his back as he slipped through her hands on a path that lowered him from her neck to the valley between her breasts. With a swirl of his tongue, he kissed the soft globes, savoring the gasps and moans that came from her sweet lips.

  The pale pink circles transformed from softness to stone. He held the tip between his teeth, flicking until he had his fill. He trailed kisses down her body past her belly and finally to her core.

  He lathed her dewy flesh, tasting her carefully at first, then greedily. Her sexy scent drove him to near madness.