Imagine That: A Small Town Big Love Novel

by Collins, Kelly

  “No. Your job is to sit here and look beautiful. Everything else is done.”

  He set the salad between them and dished some onto her plate before he served himself. He cut the hot bread and offered her a steaming slice.

  “Where did you get this?” She lifted the bread and breathed in the smell as it wafted through the air. Nothing said home like fresh-baked goods. “The grocery store in Idaho Springs is usually out of bread.”

  He arched an eyebrow and grinned. “You can’t buy good bread.”

  “Really?” She was shocked. “You made this? All the time you slept at John’s when we were technically living together, you were making the bread?”

  “I cooked for you all the time,” he laughed.

  “I don’t think I realized how much trouble you went through. I must have been out of it.” Her head fell forward. “Unbelievable.”

  “It’s okay. That was the past.” He buttered a slice and put it to her lips so she could take a bite. She hummed as it melted in her mouth. “This is unbelievable,” she moaned.

  “Glad you like it.”

  She sipped her soda. “It’s perfect.”

  “You’re easy to please.”

  “Now you’re calling me easy?” she teased.

  “I said no such thing. It’s taken me almost a year to get you into my bed. That makes you far from easy.”

  She took another bite of bread. “Had I known.” She waggled her brows.

  “Everything happens in its own time. Our time finally came.”

  “Speaking of time, when do I get to see some of these movies of you in action?”

  He sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. He hooked his foot on the bottom rung of her chair and dragged her over to him. His house had a great room concept so the kitchen, dining room and living room shared square footage. He grabbed a remote and flipped through files and up popped a football game.

  “Oh, my gosh!” she squealed. “That’s you! That’s you!”

  He laughed softly. “Yes.”

  “Oh my gosh,” she said again, this time with bittersweet regret.

  “What?”

  “I wish we’d lived here. Look at what we missed.”

  “We always miss something.”

  He was right; she couldn’t be everywhere at the same time.

  “I know, but I hated my school.” A long breath escaped her. “Let me rephrase. I didn’t like it. It wasn’t warm and fuzzy. I had no idea this town was so cool.”

  “That isn’t Blackwood.” He pointed to the screen and flashed a smile. “That’s Mile High Stadium.”

  “Yeah, but I could have been your girlfriend in high school.”

  She realized what she had just said. The fact was she and her late husband had been high school sweethearts would mean that she wouldn’t have been with Brad. It was an odd mistake for her because it was the first time in a while she hadn’t thought about him. Thoughts of him came to her almost daily. She figured she’d had her thought of him for the day now.

  She was torn with guilt for having such a great evening. Rather than pull away like she would have in the past, she huddled tighter against Kevin. He was big and solid and warm. Brad would have liked him. Something settled inside her, and she felt an intense calm wash over her.

  “This is so much fun.” She watched Kevin on the big screen moving down the field.

  “It is.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “I thought maybe tomorrow, if you want, I can take you to breakfast. There’s a neat place in Idaho Springs. You know, just spend the day together.”

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea, but I’m tired of Idaho Springs, it being my slippery slope and all.”

  “I thought about that.” He thumbed her chin so she would look at him. “There’s no better way to fix that than by making good memories there. Having it become a safe place is important. How about pancakes and shopping?”

  “Okay.” She squeezed his hand. “I’ll do anything to spend more time with you.” She picked up her phone and texted her brother. “I’m letting Clem know I’m spending the night.”

  Kevin smiled at her. “Baby, I think he knows.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kevin

  Despite it being his day off, Kevin woke at 4:30 a.m. as though he were going to work. He lumbered out of bed naked to start the coffee. He rarely paraded around his house nude. This was definitely a new experience. Standing in his kitchen with the overhead light on and a clear shot out the window to his front lawn, he leaned over the sink and drew the kitchen curtains shut.

  Once the coffee was brewing, he climbed back into bed beside the wonderfully warm and naked Maya. It seemed the most natural thing in the world. He was eager and impatient for what was happening between them to become established and irreversible. He would marry Maya if he could, but it was too new and he didn’t want to rush things.

  Maya backed her body into him. She reached for his arms and wrapped them around her. Even though the house temperature was comfy, the covers were cozy and her body was warm. They snuggled tightly together.

  “Coffee smells wonderful,” she purred. “Tell me, did you make coffee for me when you lived at John’s?”

  “I’m hurt you don’t remember,” he teased.

  His hands roamed her body. They cupped her breasts and stroked her stomach until he moved down to her hips. She was ready for him, already writhing and eager. He made slow, quiet love to her. Their bodies were no longer strangers to one another and connected in the most intimate way possible.

  Wonderfully sated, they drifted back to sleep. When they woke, they were both rested from their passionate first night together. They packed the coffee for the road and took off toward Idaho Springs for a real breakfast.

  There wasn’t much in Idaho Springs that they couldn’t get in Blackwood, though the reverse could not be said. Idaho Springs was like a movie set version of their town.

  Money had moved in a couple of decades prior and it became a faddish, understated hangout for the jet set, but it was still fun to take a field trip there now and again.

  “Shall we take your truck or do you wanna drive my car?” Her eyes lit up.

  “What’s wrong with my truck?” He stole a glance at her.

  “Well—nothing,” she confessed. “I want to see you drive my Porsche. I think you’d look hot in it. If not this morning, I hope you’ll indulge me some time.”

  “Oh, if you think it would be hot,” he teased. “I’m so there.”

  She tossed the keys to him and Kevin led her to the passenger side to open the door.

  The car was a manual shift and he had to admit it was fun to drive.

  “I barely touch anything and it goes.”

  “You’re a natural. You look great in the driver seat. It was Brad’s car.” The words left her lips in a whisper. “Is that okay?”

  “It’s fine. Don’t feel awkward about that.” In all truth, he couldn’t get upset at her mentioning Brad. The man had been a huge part of Maya’s life. He’d been her first love and that deserved a level of respect. Kevin planned to be her second love. That meant he had to leave room for her to work around the feelings she still had for Brad.

  “You’re so wonderful.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” He turned and gave her a sexy wink.

  She tucked her long hair behind her ears and looked out the window. “Where are we going?”

  “I thought we’d get breakfast on Colorado Boulevard.” He shifted and settled into the butter-soft leather seats. He pushed the gas and the car shot forward. “Maybe we’ll do a little window shopping on Miner Street.”

  “That sounds like fun.” She reached over and set her hand on his thigh in such a comfortable always-done-it way. “Something different.”

  Kevin revved the engine. He could definitely get used to a car like hers. It took nothing to get to Idaho Springs. Racing up the highway with the sun guiding their way, he reflected on how good life was.

&nb
sp; Maya tensed when he went too fast. He took her hand and held it in his own to comfort her until he had to shift again.

  The sun warmed the early spring morning, which for Colorado still meant sweaters and sometimes snow. He parked her car on the busy street and rushed around to help her out. They walked hand in hand until he pointed to a diner he’d been to years ago. “Here we go. Let’s visit Marion’s.”

  The second they stepped in and before they could even focus, a boy of about eleven years old pointed at Kevin.

  “Bam Bam.” He pounded his chest. “Dad, look.”

  Maya gazed at Kevin. She smiled from ear to ear.

  “I thought the cop was kidding. That’s what they called you? Is it some kind of football name or something more like a cartoon character?”

  He shook his head and sighed. “Yes. Remember the Flintstones?”

  She reached over and squeezed the muscle of his arm. “I can see it. Only your hair is darker.”

  “It was lighter when I was on the field and in the sun all the time.”

  The boy charged up to him and hugged him. Most every diner turned to look. Kevin patted the young kid’s back.

  “Can I have your autograph?” the boy asked.

  “Let us sit down first.” Kevin pointed to the empty table near the front window. “Go get me something to write with and something to write on.”

  The boy took off like a sprinter in a race until Kevin shouted, “Walk!”

  He held Maya’s chair out for her.

  A wide smile lit up Maya’s face. “Can I have your autograph too?” She rose and kissed him on the cheek before she took a seat.

  The boy returned with paper and pen and told him what to write.

  “My name is Brian.”

  Kevin wrote To Brian, from Kevin Hoisington.

  “Can you put your phone number on it?” Brian pointed to the bottom of the note. “Right here?”

  Kevin coolly shook his head. “No, I cannot.”

  “What about a picture? Can I have a picture with you?”

  “Okay. One.” Kevin could never say no to a kid. He remembered being a bright-eyed youngster waiting by the exit of the Denver Bronco stadium for anyone to come out and sign his jersey. Somehow, he’d never lost that feeling of wonder or the feeling of gratitude that someone would consider him worthy of their time.

  The boy huddled up against him and held out his phone.

  “Wait,” Maya insisted. “I can take it for you. Is that okay, Brian?”

  “Sure. Are you his wife?” Brian asked excitedly.

  “No.” Maya grinned. “Hold still, you two. Say cheese.”

  Brian sustained a long ‘cheeeeeese’ until she snapped the photo.

  Her eyes softened as she looked at it. “Beautiful,” she announced after handing him his phone back.

  “Okay.” Kevin pointed away from the table to where Brian’s parents looked on with happiness. “Back to your parents, young man.”

  “Thank you.” Brian gave him another hug and went back to his table, but he kept an eye on Kevin the whole time.

  “You want to take selfies with me too?” he asked.

  “I would love a picture of us together.” She waved to Brian to come back to the table.

  The boy had one speed—fast.

  “Walk, buddy,” Kevin said in his policeman’s voice.

  “Can you take a picture of us?” Maya handed him her phone.

  Maya and Kevin touched their heads together and smiled. Kevin’s head buzzed with the power of their connection. She made him dizzy with joy.

  The boy took their picture and handed off her phone, returning to his table at a much slower pace.

  “I love it.” Maya bounced in her seat like an excited child.

  The scent in the air dictated their orders. Maya opted for cinnamon French toast bathed in hot maple syrup. Kevin ordered bacon and eggs.

  The great thing about diners was they were generally good and almost always quick. In a few moments, they were digging in.

  After a much-too-big breakfast, they took a leisurely stroll over one block to Miner Street, which was where most of the shops were.

  When he suggested taking Maya into town, he thought he wanted to take her shopping to buy her another present and now as they approached Miner Street, he knew exactly where they’d go.

  “Let’s go in here.” He pushed open the door painted with the letters that spelled Antonio’s.

  It was a high-end, exclusive jeweler. Many of the stores, like the one where Kevin had bought her jacket, might have looked like they were innocuous shops in a touristy Old West town, but they were actually boutiques with big price tags.

  “Do a lot of shopping here?” Maya asked dryly.

  “Not enough, but you’re going to change all that.”

  “Good morning,” the clerk greeted them.

  “Hello.” Kevin walked into the store like he was a regular. While he wasn’t, he never let people or things intimidate him.

  Looking at Maya surrounded by sparkling cases of beautiful jewels, he knew this was the right place and the right time. It had been a long time since he’d had a woman he wanted to spoil. He was itching to pamper the hell out of Maya.

  “What can I help you with today?” the clerk asked.

  “Oh, we’re just looking.” Maya moved along the display case.

  “No,” Kevin corrected. “We’re not. We’re buying.”

  He pushed back her hair and checked out her ears to see what kind of earrings she wore. Then he looked at her long beautiful neck.

  “Maybe a necklace or a pair of earrings?”

  “Evin-Kay,” she said in Pig Latin.

  “I think this fine gentleman can figure out what you’re saying.”

  “It’s kind of pricey in here.” She gave him one of those serious stares. The kind that almost crossed her eyes.

  He let go of a short, sharp laugh. “Are you worried I can’t afford it?”

  “I didn’t say that.” She was backpedaling.

  “You kind of implied it.”

  “I meant that I’m a lot more practical, that’s all.”

  “You’re driving around in a car worth more than most of the houses in Blackwood.”

  “I realize that.” She wrapped her hands around his thick arm and leaned into his side. “I told you. I’m working on it. Working on a plan for Blackwood.”

  “Are you going to buy the town back?”

  “I might, if I can.”

  He beamed at her. He could not get over how beautiful she was.

  They walked up to a glass case. “Relax.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I have money.”

  She tilted her head to look up at him. “That’s cool, but this wasn’t a conversation about your ability to buy things. I am practical.”

  “I know you are, or you think you are, but I want to buy you a present. Let’s not be practical this once.”

  He mulled over the rows of earrings. The amethysts drew his attention. He liked purple on her. The lavender robe, the leather jacket, and now these. He could get hooked on shopping for her.

  “Do you like those?” he asked, pointing at the earrings that caught his eye.

  “They’re beautiful.”

  “Is this awkward for you?” While Maya could buy herself anything in the store, he knew she wouldn’t. That was where her practicality showed.

  “It’s new,” she said honestly.

  “Just earrings,” he whispered. “For now.”

  He asked the clerk to pull the amethyst earrings out so he could hold them up to Maya’s ears. They were lovely elegant teardrops that would pop against her dark hair and tawny skin.

  “Do you like them?”

  The clerk had placed a mirror out for her to admire herself, but she was too busy gazing up at him.

  “Excuse us.” Kevin turned from the clerk and kissed Maya.

  She was breathless when he pulled away.

  “Yes. I like them.” All four words sl
ipped out on an exhale.

  “Put them on.” There was still the risk of her refusing his gift, but once they were on her ears, he knew she’d keep them.

  He gave the clerk his credit card and Maya fitted the earrings into her pierced ears.

  “I think it’s time for another picture.” He signed the slip and then handed his phone to the clerk. “I apologize for the inconvenience,” he said. “Would you mind?”

  “No.” She took hold of his phone and snapped several pictures. “It’s so nice to see a couple in love.”

  Kevin and Maya smiled warmly at her.

  He scrolled through to find the best shot. “This one goes on my desk.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Maya

  Several days after the incident, the police called Maya and asked her to come to the station, which meant another trip to Idaho Springs. This one infinitely less pleasant than breakfast and shopping with Kevin. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t talk to someone at the Blackwood Police Station, but she cooperated.

  The Idaho Springs Police Station was on the same street as the church where the meeting had been held.

  She drove by the scene first just to review the incident in her mind. Much to her surprise, though, she wasn’t asked to come down to the station to give a statement on the attack.

  She was going down to the station because the man had filed charges against Kevin and she had to give her eyewitness account.

  The Idaho Springs Police station wasn’t much bigger than the one in Blackwood. Maya entered the stand-alone building and was directed to a conference room.

  It surprised her that they actually had her face to face with the man who’d pestered her and grabbed her at the meeting. She took a seat across from him. When the officer introduced her, she remembered so many more details, including his name. Tim Johnson. He was wearing a brace around his neck. She hoped he wasn’t faking, and that he needed it.

  She texted Deena Grace, the Blackwood Corporation attorney, because she was the only lawyer whose contact information was handy.

  “I’m going to ask you to put your cell phone away.” The interviewing policeman glared at her.