Imagine That: A Small Town Big Love Novel

by Collins, Kelly

  “You’re up early.”

  Clem laughed sarcastically and nodded.

  “Your detective skills are good,” Clem said acidly.

  He shook his head and laughed. He vividly recalled how snarky Maya had been those first few days when she’d moved here fresh out of rehab. She was a biter.

  “What’s going through your mind?” He leaned back, making himself comfortable.

  “I don’t understand,” whispered Clem, picking up his thoughts midway through. “I gave her everything. I don’t get why she needed something more or why she couldn’t just stay home while she had more.”

  Clem looked haggard with his wrinkled clothes, unkempt hair, and withering physique. He didn’t look like he’d eaten in a while. Kevin casually poked his finger in the air to signal the early morning waitress. She was at their table fast.

  “Can I get a side of fries and two waters, please?” he asked, speaking quietly so he didn’t disturb Clem's thought process.

  “If you want to talk about it, I’m a good listener. That’s the great thing about being a cop in a small town like this. No crime. I have nothing but time. Or not. Whatever.”

  “Met her in school.” Clem cracked and he swallowed hard. “We were Deadheads together. Now I can’t listen to ‘Touch of Grey’ without wanting to sob like a child.”

  The waitress sat two short glasses of iced water and the fries on the table top and left.

  Kevin moved the fries in between them. He set the ketchup and the salt and pepper by the plate. He hoped the sight and smell of the fries would entice Clem to eat something.

  Other than that, he said nothing—didn’t push. He let the man have his space to release a little bit before he changed the subject so he wouldn’t be so self-focused.

  “Your sister’s doing well.” He made small talk, hoping Clem would engage.

  Clem lifted his head but didn’t look Kevin in the eye.

  “Yeah? Didn’t know how that one would go, right?”

  “Right.” He let the parallel find its way into Clem’s mind. He just wanted to plant the seed of comparison. If Maya’s life could turn around, so could his.

  “I think she’s learning the trick to finding something to be grateful for even in trying times. Did she tell you what happened at the meeting last night?” He reached for the ketchup and squeezed a puddle on the side of the plate.

  “No.” Clem picked up a fry. He salted it and dunked it into ketchup.

  Kevin was happy to see the man eat.

  “There was a guy there—the same one she was with when you took her to rehab. He was at the meeting. He grabbed her.” He redirected Clem’s focus from his sorrows to Maya. It seemed to work.

  “Jeez, Louise.” Clem lifted his head and straightened up. “That guy is trouble.”

  “Appears to be. You don’t happen to know his name, do you? He’s in the Idaho Springs Jail so if you don’t remember, I can check in with them.”

  “No, I can’t remember. I know he had gotten his hooks into her fast and she was so out of it, she didn’t even know.”

  “Looks like it’s time he paid the price for messing with her.” Kevin wished he’d tackled the man harder. Maya had left with an injured arm where her assailant had only injured his ego, if that. “Maya held her own.”

  “Man,” Clem remarked. “I’m proud of her. She’s come a long way. I remember those first few days in rehab we were so afraid she would sign herself out.”

  “I’ll bet you she never thought she’d be where she is today.”

  “You like her, don’t you?” Clem asked.

  “Yes.” There was no doubt in his mind. Like seemed like such an inadequate word for his feelings for Maya.

  “Does she know? Because we’ve talked about you and it sounds like both of you are keeping secrets from one another.” Clem grabbed another fry. “Take it from me, secrets are like a flesh-eating bacterium to relationships.” He sipped his water and snatched another fry and then another and another. It took time but eventually, half the plate was gone.

  He noted Clem put salt and hot sauce on his fries, which meant Kevin wasn’t having any. That made him laugh softly.

  “Is that what happened to you? Secrets?”

  Clem shook his head. “I can’t even think about my own situation right now. My brain hurts from too much thought; it’s wearing me thin.”

  “Looks like it. Hate to say it, but you look like hell.” He generally kept his opinions to himself but this was Maya’s brother and if anything happened to him, it would stall Maya’s progress. “Did you drive here?”

  “I rode my bike,” confessed Clem.

  He tried not to show his alarm, but Clem was smart enough to know Kevin knew riding a bike in the dark on a winding mountain road was suicidal.

  “I was going to ask you to ride around with me in the patrol car. It’s not fast paced, but it’s fun.”

  Clem considered his request for a moment. “I’d like that.”

  “I would enjoy the company. Let’s get a couple coffees to go. I can take you home later. We can put your bike in the substation for now. It’ll be safe.” He would conveniently not be available to return it until he was sure Clem was stable. “Finish those.” He gently nudged the fries toward him.

  “You didn’t have any.”

  “I’m waiting to have breakfast with your sister. You eat.”

  “Actually, now I’m starved.” Clem gobbled down the fries.

  “Have some bacon and eggs. You’ve got a pool of hot sauce to use.”

  “Do we have time?” Clem looked outside at the sky, which was just showing a hint of blue. “I would like to roll with you.”

  “I rarely allow it, but if you want to get that order to go, I’ll let you eat in the cruiser.”

  Clem ordered the bacon and eggs along with another side of fries to be rolled up in a large flour tortilla. He put packets of salt and pepper in his pockets and ordered a large coffee to go while Kevin watched in fascination. When he finished, he followed him to the car.

  He was happy he had someone to ride with. His job was solitary in nature so this would be nice.

  Clem’s bike sat out front. He went back inside to get the busboy, who he offered twenty bucks to take it over to the station, but Clem bumped it up to a hundred.

  “Jeez.” He shook his head at Clem’s generosity.

  “I have the money,” said Clem quietly. “I like to share it. If I’m asking someone to help me because I don’t have my shit together, he should be compensated well.”

  “Not bad compensation for ten minutes’ worth of work,” Kevin observed with a smile.

  The bus boy took the bike and fist bumped the air several times as he crossed the street.

  “Looks like I made his day.”

  “Kindness is always an effective balm for what ails you,” he replied.

  The sun was cracking the sky as the two men loaded into the cruiser and pulled out of the diner parking lot. He had just patrolled all of Blackwood not an hour before, but he repeated it for Clem’s sake.

  Something told him he would get a call or a text from Maya. The feeling pressed on his midsection and nagged at him. He had been right, she’d called, but he knew she would. He had learned to trust his intuition over the years.

  “Morning.” She was on the speakerphone.

  “Good morning, sexy.” The purr of her voice shot bolts of desire through his body.

  “Oops.” He shifted in his seat. “I have your brother in the car. You’re on speakerphone.”

  Clem burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he nearly dropped his coffee and burrito.

  “What’s going on?” Maya asked with concern in her voice.

  “Nothing. Just hanging out with your brother.”

  “Why is Clem in the car?”

  “We’re bonding,” He said like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  “Are we still having dinner tonight?”

  “No, we’re having dinner on F
riday.”

  “I may be jealous of Clem. He’s getting time with you that I want.”

  “I’m going to patrol with your brother and then I’ll swing by so you don’t have to be jealous.” He made a kissing sound into the phone before he hung up.

  “You and my sister, man.” Clem shook his head and smiled. “That makes me happy.”

  “Thanks.” Kevin smiled. “Makes me happy too.”

  The sky was purple and gold and orange and the sun rose like a shiny golden coin into the sky. The colors splashed against the Rockies.

  “That sunrise is a masterpiece.” Clem leaned forward and stared out the window as they made their way down Main Street.

  “Pretty, right?”

  “Never gets old,” Clem said with a fading voice. “We should have never sold this place. I feel like a jackass because now I want to come home.”

  Chapter Ten

  Maya

  It was early but Maya wanted to get to work on the matter of the town’s buyers backtracking on promises. She showered and threw on a simple outfit of skinny jeans—which for her were any pair she owned—and a loose sweater. She knotted her long, dark hair and got busy.

  She drafted an email and then proofed it. It was pretty good, if she said so herself. She sent it to Blackwood Corporation’s counsel, who happened be her cousin-in-law, Deena, Caleb’s new wife. She wanted to alert Deena about what the people in town were saying and offer a draft response.

  “Thank you, counselor,” Deena replied quickly.

  Maya smiled. For a moment she wondered if she might like to be a lawyer. She padded to the kitchen in slippers to boil water for peppermint tea.

  Kevin’s cruiser pulled up. She leaned on the cabinet and peeked out the curtain of the side window and just spied on him.

  She adored how Clem and he looked like they were getting on well. Clem’s face was actually bright and the dark circles were at least not so stark. However, he shuffled into the house like he was exhausted.

  “Dead man walking,” laughed Clem.

  “That’s funny,” she said. “Not.”

  Kevin leaned in and kissed her. It was novel and refreshing that he could do that.

  “How’d you get into town?” She looked out the window to the opened garage. “I see your car is still here.”

  “Bike.”

  Her face dropped. “Are you serious?” she asked, yelling at him. She was livid to the point of tears. She shoved Clem and the smiles left everyone’s faces.

  “Wow.” Kevin moved forward and grabbed her hands. “No hitting.” His tone was serious. “I don’t care if he is your brother.”

  She felt so helpless that all she could do was weep. She knew what Clem was doing. She’d been there herself, though she wasn’t aware of it at the time. Clem didn’t have the excuse of being numbed with alcohol. “You could have been killed.”

  Clem stooped so that they were face to face. “But I wasn’t,” he replied. “And I don’t want to be and that’s the most important part.”

  “I know it’s not about me, but I just lost someone. I can’t live through that again,” she pled.

  “You won’t have to. I want to find the happiness you have. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get some sleep because I’m so damn tired.” He shook Kevin’s hand. “Thanks, man. I appreciate everything you did.” Clem walked past them and upstairs.

  Kevin gazed at Maya.

  “What happened?” she asked him.

  He pulled her head close to his lips and whispered, “I’ll tell you in a sec, but not so that I break his confidence. I can answer some things, but he confided in me. I can’t break that trust.”

  “Tell me what you can.”

  “He was out at five in the morning, and I was there. We just hung out and he feels better. You’ll have to talk to him yourself, but I think he will be okay.”

  She threw her arms around him and kissed him with everything she had.

  “Thank you.” She nuzzled her face into his neck and breathed in the calming scent of him. “I’m so mad at Kaitlin for breaking his heart.”

  “I think he just learned, through your strong example, that he will be fine.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Eventually he’ll be able to move on and it won’t hurt so much.”

  “I’m almost glad I had to go to rehab.”

  “You get to be his shining light.” Kevin grinned. “Now you don’t have to be ashamed of your past.”

  “Or shut the door on it. You were his shining light this morning.” Maya knew she was falling deeper and deeper in love with him. “And mine.”

  “Let’s take you over to Idaho Springs Hospital and get your arm checked out.”

  “I think I’m fine.” She touched her arm and tried not to wince.

  “I have motives for doing this. One, I think this guy will come back at you or me or both and we need a record.”

  “Check,” she said. “That’s smart thinking from a smart cop. I’m on board with that.”

  “And two, my mom is there. She works the help desk.”

  “Aw.” she was touched. “I should go clean up then.”

  “You look fine.” He shook his head as if to erase the words. “You look more than fine. You do nice things to jeans.”

  A red-hot rush colored her face in the places where the tears had wet her skin.

  “Oh, my gosh I love that you told me you like me. I like to get compliments,” she gushed.

  She kissed him slowly. Tendrils of electricity unfurled and arced through her body.

  Kevin was definitely responding, their bodies slowly dancing.

  “Let’s go,” he whispered drowsily.

  “Upstairs?” Her voice was soft and seductive.

  “No, to the hospital,” he replied. “I’m about to cave.”

  “Really?” she asked hopefully.

  He arched his brow and she backed off.

  He wanted to do things the way he wanted to do them and, in this case, she let him have his way, but she would work on his spontaneity.

  She gathered her purse and followed him to the cruiser. It never occurred to her that it might be scandalous for her to be riding shotgun in a police car until they got out on the highway and other drivers checked her out.

  “You know—” Nerves made her voice tremble. “I’m not sure it’s the best way to meet your mom. Because of the drama and stuff. I’m embarrassed. I got a sober reminder of how bad it was for me. That guy was awful. I must have been in a horrible place. I didn’t think I was that bad, but I guess I was.”

  “Maya,” he replied. “She works in a hospital. She sees drama every day, and like I said, she was in your shoes at one time. Besides, we’ve talked about you, and she wants to meet you.”

  “You did?” She perked up. “She does?”

  Idaho Springs Hospital was twenty minutes away from John’s house which was another twenty minutes away from the town of Blackwood, creating a perfect triangle between the three points.

  Even in the still cool weather of the early spring, there were signs of life in the foliage along the highway where there weren’t jagged stone fronts erupting from the earth. Spring was the season for rebirth. What a perfect time to start something with someone as wonderful as Kevin. He parked in the area reserved for law enforcement and Maya smiled.

  “You pretty much always have a parking spot, don’t you?”

  He smiled a slow but bright smile. “I do. It’s one of the perks.”

  He got her door for her. He was such a gentleman—a big, gorgeous well mannered man. She was jittery and nervous to meet his mother.

  “I’m kind of scared.”

  “No need to be.” He rested his hand at the small of her back. “If it makes you feel better, she’s probably nervous too. It’s best to jump in with both feet.”

  Maya laughed. “That is so silly coming from you, the man who refused to jump at all until yesterday.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him. “I respect that you
want to keep it on the down low.” She walked forward. “Let’s go.”

  He knew exactly what she was talking about and stopped. He swept his hands up to cup her face and kissed her as if to prove her wrong.

  “I’m not keeping anything on the down low. I’m just moving slowly. I want to do it right, but mark my words, it’ll be wherever and whenever after that. Got it?”

  Maya thought she was going to faint. She was so overloaded thinking about the possibilities that she couldn’t bother being nervous meeting his mother. Her biggest fear now was of his mother knowing why she was so flushed and how her son made Maya pulse with need.

  They walked inside the hospital. It smelled of antiseptic and flowers.

  The help desk was in the lobby's center. A tiny, brown-haired woman manned the desk. Maya always thought those desks looked rather futuristic, like they belonged in a spaceship.

  “That’s your mom?”

  “Yep. Her name is Franny. Franny Hoisington.”

  She took in the tiny woman. “But you’re so big and fair and she’s tiny and dark-haired.”

  “I look like my dad. Mom’s hair was a lighter brown like mine when she was younger.” He threaded his fingers through hers and gave her a squeeze.

  They had to stop whispering because there were only so many steps from the entrance of the door to Franny’s desk.

  She looked up from her work and smiled at the sight of Maya and Kevin.

  “Hello,” she greeted them with definite excitement in her voice.

  “Mom.” Kevin smiled like a kid on Christmas morning. “This is Maya Blackwood. Maya, this is my mother, Franny Hoisington.”

  “Just call me Franny.” She grinned from ear to ear. “My goodness. Nice to meet you.”

  How Franny smiled so intensely and talked at the same time, Maya didn’t know, but she decided Kevin’s mother was adorable. Both Maya and Kevin towered over her as she came around the desk to give Maya a hug. It was hard to believe the giant man standing next to her was related to the tiny woman embracing her.

  He interrupted the hug fest. “Mom, we’re here to say hi and to get Maya’s arm checked out.”

  “Oh, okay.”