by Tia Souders
CHAPTER 10
Danny kicked her pants off. Her tank top followed, and she added it to the pile, along with her sandals. Down to her underwear, she glanced around her, ensuring she was alone, then moved her hands to the clasp of her bra.
On second thought, she’d keep the underwear, she mused. Just in case . . .
She waded slowly into the water. It was so clean, she could see straight to the bottom in the shallow parts, and the prospect of a quiet swim beckoned her.
The water lapped at her waist as she sunk in further, and though it was warm, it was just refreshing enough to ease the heat of the afternoon.
Holding her breath, she dove underneath and swam until her arms ached and her lungs felt like bursting, then reemerged with a gasp for breath. Further out, she glanced around her. There seemed to be nothing for miles except the mountains in the distance and the shade of loblolly pines. Up ahead, a large bird cawed as it soared through a perfectly blue sky.
She made a mental note to thank Tess for directing her to this spot. After joining half the town—including all the Montgomerys, with the exception of Rhett—at Sunday church service, Danny hadn’t been able to get her confrontation with Rhett about Bones off her mind.
She’d wanted desperately to ask Tess about it again. Questions burned in the back of her throat, but she remembered Tess’s warning the day she saw her with him at the ranch and decided better of it. Even if Tess didn’t say I told you so, Danny wouldn’t get any information from her. She’d already told her that if she wanted to know more about Rhett and Bones’ history, she should ask him. In fact, even when Danny nonchalantly probed Barb—who seemed to be the town gossip—for information after mass, she clammed up.
In the end, Danny simply wanted to get her mind off him. The broody rancher seemed to be all she could think about ever since that day he caught her in the flowers. So when she told Tess she needed somewhere to think—some peace and quiet—like a good friend, Tess knew just the place. The only downside to it was that she had to sneak past the back of Rhett’s house first, into the wooded property beyond where the lake split off, under a small rickety bridge. But there wasn’t much need to worry. As usual, despite it being Sunday, Rhett was hard at work, and so he hadn’t been around to catch her.
With a sigh, Danny lifted her legs and spread out her arms so she could float on her back. She closed her eyes, listening to the soft sound of the water gently lapping the shore. Up above, the birds trilled and a breeze rustled through the trees when she found her thoughts drifting, once again, to Rhett.
She had no idea why his anger bothered her so much. It shouldn’t. He was her boss, and like any employee, she should leave work at work. In her off time, Rhett shouldn’t even be a second thought. But there was something about him Danny felt drawn to. Something she couldn’t explain. After all, how do you explain a feeling?
The answer was you couldn’t. Still, the niggling in her gut told her Cedar Falls was right where she was meant to be. Already, in such a short amount of time, it felt like home. The residents felt like friends, like she’d known them her whole life. And as much as she needed Montana Wilds, maybe, just maybe, Rhett Montgomery needed her more.
An image of the pamphlet for the resort falling beneath the table at the coffee shop flashed in her head. Maybe some things weren’t just coincidence. Maybe some things were meant to be.
RHETT GRUMBLED AS HE crossed the driveway, toward the cabin just as Tess pulled in. It was her day off, so whatever she wanted must directly involve him, and he wasn’t in the mood.
“Hey, stranger,” she called out the drivers’ side window. “We missed you at the service this morning.”
Rhett stopped by her window and removed his hat, wiping the sweat from his brow. It was aiming to be a hot one today.
“Sorry, I had some stuff here to do,” he said, but Tess saw through the lie.
“Uh-huh, that’s the story of your life, isn’t it?”
The truth was the last time Rhett had stepped foot in a church was for his late wife’s funeral.
“Did you come all the way over here on your day off to bust my chops? Or did you have a real reason?”
“You sure left in a hurry last night,” she said, ignoring him.
He shrugged, trying to keep his expression placid. “I’d had enough socializing for one night.”
“Is that it, or did it have something to do with the pretty brunette in your arms?”
With a sigh, Rhett settled his hat back on his head. “Cut the crap, Tess. What do you want?”
He narrowed his eyes on her, and she shifted in her seat as she gripped the steering wheel in her hands, her gaze set on the lodge in front of her. “I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she murmured. “After, well, I know you saw him there, and folks were making a fuss . . .”
Rhett’s jaw tightened. “Actually, I’m kinda tired today. I’ve been working too hard.”
“Ya think?”
He arched a brow. Would she ever give him a break?
“I think I might go down to my spot, take my fishin’ pole,” he said.
Tess pursed her lips, and her eyes glittered as she drawled, “Yeah. You know what? I think that’s a great idea. It’s been a while since you’ve done that, hasn’t it?”
“Too long.” Rhett frowned. “Wait, you’re not gonna bug me to go to Mum and Dad’s for lunch?”
“Nah.” Tess scrunched her nose, but her tone was off. “I mean, it’s been forever since you’ve joined us for Sunday brunch, so we’re all used to it by now.”
It was true. Rhett had made an appearance a few times over the past two years, but every time he did, all he thought about was the empty chair beside him, or how much his parents had adored Mae Beth, and it ate him up inside. Still, for Tess to dismiss it so quickly . . .
“You’re sure you don’t want to nag me about coming?” He stared at her, trying to get a better read on her but got nothing.
“Of course we want you there, but you do you, big brother.”
“You’re acting weird.”
“Am I?” Tess fanned her face, which had turned a bright shade of red. “Must be this heat. Anyway, you take care. Catch a big one for me,” she said, then before he could get another word in, she backed out of the lot and drove off.
He watched her car disappear, then shook his head and headed to his house for a change of clothes and his fishing gear.
By the time he approached the seclusion of his favorite spot, he’d all but forgotten about Tess’s weird behavior. It wasn’t the first time she acted strangely, and it could’ve been a reaction based on the mere fact that Rhett hadn’t taken a day off in . . . he couldn’t remember how long.
He approached the large clearing of trees that opened to the mouth of the cove and paused. Frowning, he cocked his head. He thought he heard something.
He listened a moment longer, then heard it again.
A giant splash.
His eyes widened as he imagined a fish big enough to make that much noise.
He picked up the pace, matching the rapid beat of his pulse with his stride and set his tackle box down a yard or so from the shore. A bird crooned from a nearby tree as he crouched over the box and popped the lid, then removed a lure. When he straightened, his gaze caught on something to his right and he frowned.
It looked like . . .
He stepped closer to get a better look when the heap of clothing came into view—women’s clothing, based on the bra sitting atop the pile.
Again, splashing drew his attention to the water, this time, followed by a shriek.
He recognized that sound.
His eyes scanned the lake and caught on a dripping wet Danny ducked below the inky surface so that only her head and the very tops of her bare shoulders were visible.
Rhett gaped. A myriad of emotions flooded his veins.
“What are you doing?” Danny shouted, her voice shrill.
Several moments passed before he snapped his mouth sh
ut and gained his composure.
“Me?” Rhett frowned and stabbed a finger toward her in the water. “What about you? You’re in my spot.”
“Your spot?” Danny glanced around like she might find a nametag somewhere in the middle of the water. “What do you mean, your spot? Tess told me . . .”
Her words trailed off, probably due to Rhett’s murderous expression.
His hands fisted by his side as he clenched his jaw and glanced away from her.
Tess . . . No wonder she acted so weird, almost happy when he mentioned coming out here. It was because she already knew Danny would be here. And half-naked, no less. She’d be thrilled when she found out her little plan worked and he caught her there.
He released the pent-up breath in his lungs, then turned back to Danny. “This is my spot. Only I come here. I’ve been doing so for years. So, if you don’t mind . . .” he said, his voice tight, motioning for her to get out.
“I just wanted to clear my head, and Tess said this was the perfect place.”
“I’m sure she did.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“No, you don’t ever mean to overstep your bounds, do you? Yet that’s all you’ve done since you arrived.”
He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. They were unduly harsh, and even from here, he could see the color drain from Danny’s face.
“Right,” she said, glancing down at the water. Then she crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, if you’d just turn around a moment, I’ll . . .” She gestured toward her clothes. “Get my things and be on my way.”
Rhett nodded, the tight set of his jaw easing as he turned.
Behind him, the subtle sound of splashing and rippling signaled she’d started to get out.
How long would she have stayed out here, lazing in the water and drinking in the sun had he not interrupted?
He flexed his hands, struggling not to imagine her pulling clothes over her damp skin.
Instead, he focused on the image of her face as he admonished her and felt, once again, like a jerk. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who needed a reprieve. It made him wonder what kind of things she needed to take her mind off of. What demons was she running from?
Their brief conversation from last night flashed in his head. It couldn’t be easy going through a divorce, let alone infidelity. For all he knew, she was still madly in love with her ex. Or maybe she was just lonely.
The thought twisted in his gut. Too often, Rhett was so consumed with his own feelings and past hurts that he forgot others had some of their own.
“Danny,” he said, his voice gruffer than he intended, “are you decent?”
When she didn’t answer, he risked a peek behind him to see her sitting on the grass, fully dressed, strapping her sandals onto her feet as she wiped at her eyes.
“Are you crying?” He asked with wide eyes, horrified at the thought.
“No.” She sniffed.
“Danny . . .”
She held up a hand to stop his approach. “Just . . . drop it. Okay? It’s fine. I’m fine. You can’t stand the sight of me and don’t want me around. I get it.”
“I don’t. It’s not—”
What was he going to say? That he doesn’t hate her? That it’s not like that?
All he’d done since her arrival was treat her like an inconvenience, like she was unwelcome.
“I know, I know. You don’t hate me. You’ve said it before, but you sure have a funny way of showing it.”
Rhett frowned and reached out and grabbed her arm. “Danny, wait.”
She paused, staring straight ahead, unwilling to look at him, for which he couldn’t blame her.
The tracks from her tears shined in the sunlight, a reminder that he put them there. “There are things you don’t know. Reasons for why I’m—for why I’m . . .”
“A jerk?” She peered up at him with red-rimmed eyes, and he couldn’t even be annoyed with her. Not when she was right, and not when she was looking up at him like that, so sad, yet so hopeful.
“Yeah.” He sighed. “A jerk.” He dropped his hand, suddenly aware of how warm and soft her skin was. “Maybe we can be friends.”
“Friends?” she asked, arching a brow, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d doubt himself too.
He nodded. “How can I make it up to you and set things right?”
Danny turned fully toward him. Her dark hair hung over her shoulders in wet ropes, dripping into the soft cotton of her shirt. The pink of her cheeks glowed, and her subtle tan hinted of her time spent in the sun. She hadn’t a stitch of makeup on, yet she was stunning. It’s no wonder he pushed her away.
She bit her lip, hiding a smile, and he noticed for the first time, a small smattering of freckles across her nose.
He wanted to reach out and touch them.
“Well, there is one thing . . .”
“Name it,” he said, breathless.
His heart thudded in his chest as he waited for her to name her price.
In that moment, he’d do most anything.
CHAPTER 11
When Rhett offered to make things right with Danny, the last thing he had in mind was a haircut and a shave. But here he was, sitting in his kitchen on a chair in front of the sink with a towel around his shoulders. All in all, he couldn’t complain. It was a small price to pay for having been a jerk. Though she could’ve asked for anything—a raise, to work the check-in desk at the resort, a steak dinner, or even the simplicity of his apology and a promise to be a gentlemen instead of the bully he’d been to her since she got there.
He glanced around the kitchen, feeling oddly self-conscious as she dampened his hair, then began to comb it. There, in his home, the act felt uncomfortably intimate. Though he wasn’t entirely sure why. He hardly spent much time here anymore, and this had become one of the most unused rooms in the house. There was nothing fun or enjoyable about preparing a meal for one in the constant silence, knowing you’d eat it alone. One place setting at the table was merely a reminder of all he’d lost, which was why most days, he preferred the restaurant at the lodge or take-out from The Water Hole, which he then took to his office.
It wasn’t lost on him that Danny was the first person, other than family, to enter his home since Mae Beth’s passing. At one time, he and Mae Beth had hosted parties and dinner with friends and family. He had cherished his time there. He loved this house, had a firm hand in designing it, and the pleasure of watching all his plans come to fruition. Then everything changed. Mae Beth was no longer there to share his life with, and it quickly turned from his sanctuary into nothing more than a place to lay his head and store his things.
As he sat there now, his gaze lingered on the large raw edge table in the center of the room that now sat empty. What would Mae Beth think of his life now? Working all hours of the day and hiding away in his office. Avoiding friends and family. Steering clear of anything and everything that might even so much as remind him of her—including the Lord.
When she was alive, not a day went by from spring to fall where she hadn’t filled half a dozen vases with flowers and scattered them about the house, but the biggest bouquets always went at the table where they shared their meals. Sunday brunch at his parents’ house had all but been forgotten, and church just another thing to avoid. Nothing had been the same since she left.
“This house is beautiful.”
Danny’s voice brought him back to the present, and he blinked up at her. For a moment, he had forgotten she was there.
“Thanks,” he said, then turned back around.
Clearing his throat, he tried to redirect their conversation. He didn’t feel like talking about the house. “So, you have a thing for cutting homely men’s hair?” he asked, trying to sound lighter than he felt.
“You’re hardly what I’d call homely,” she said, flicking the back of his head with her comb.
It was the sparsest of compliments, yet it made his insides turn in knots.
“B
ut, yes,” she continued. “I guess I do have a ‘thing,’ as you called it, for cutting hair. Or at least I used to.” She paused, then explained, “I used to be a hairdresser, and I loved it.”
“Why’d you quit?”
Danny sighed and began tugging on his hair, snipping every few seconds as she went. “That’s a good question, one I’ve asked myself a lot over these past months. But the answer is there’s no easy answer. When I got married . . . I sort of lost myself. And, don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming him. Not really, anyway. It was my fault too. At the time, it just felt easier—building a completely new life instead of trying to merge the one I had before marriage with my life after.”
“Do you regret it?” he asked, closing his eyes against the feel of her fingers in his hair.
How long had it been since he’d experienced the gentleness of a woman’s touch?
“Yeah, I do. But that’s what new beginnings are for, right?”
“And that’s why you came here, to Cedar Falls, to start fresh?”
“Yes. I needed a change, time, and distance to discover who I want to be now. When something big happens that makes you question everything, I think you need that.”
Rhett murmured a noncommittal response. He wasn’t so sure. He knew all about how one life event could turn your world on its heels and make you question everything. The only problem was time and distance had only made him grow colder, further detached from his life and the people in it. He’d had no epiphany of how to live after Mae Beth. Then again, wasn’t he sitting here in his kitchen, entertaining a conversation with another woman? Even if Danny was only an employee, he never would’ve done this a year ago.
“Your family missed you at church this morning,” Danny said as she reached for the clippers she’d grabbed from her cabin.
“I’m sure they did,” Rhett said wryly.
“They said you stopped going.”
When he kept quiet, she asked, “Why?”
The knee-jerk reaction to say something smart stung the tip of his tongue. Just that morning, he would’ve told her it was none of her business. But this was about making amends, he reminded himself. Besides, he didn’t like this version of himself—the one that snapped at everything and anything. And hadn’t she told him about her painful past? It couldn’t have been easy sharing how her husband cheated on her with her best friend.
