by Kirk, Cindy
“After that, what?” He took a step closer, a belligerent look in his eye.
“We’ll be free to do whatever we want.” She smiled and brushed a strand of hair back from her face, a gesture that seemed oddly sensual. “With each other. Or with whomever we choose.”
* * *
Tripp found himself more disturbed by her words than he let on. Was Adrianna really saying that she planned to sleep around once they broke up?
Of course, they wouldn’t really be breaking up because they’d never been together in the first place.
It sure felt as if you were with her last night.
He pulled into a parking space not far from The Coffeepot and slammed his door with extra force. To top it off, she’d refused to ride to the café with him.
After dropping her bombshell, she’d offered up some lame excuse about needing to run to the grocery store after breakfast. He snorted.
Could the day get any worse?
“Randall, I didn’t expect to see you here this morning. I thought you’d be in church.”
Tripp turned to find Winn Ferris stepping onto the sidewalk from the curb. Yep, he decided, the day not only could get worse, it just had.
“Church just got out.” Tripp saw the red of Adrianna’s dress disappearing into the popular downtown café. He picked up his pace.
“Are you having breakfast at The Coffeepot?” Winn said with an easy smile. “I’m headed there myself.”
“Yes.” Tripp clipped the word. “I’m meeting some friends and I’m late. If you’ll excuse me—”
“Well, look at this,” Nick Delacourt said, approaching from the opposite direction with his wife, Lexi.
Tripp wasn’t sure if Nick meant seeing Winn or seeing the two of them together. He didn’t care to find out. He increased his pace, wanting to make sure he got a seat next to Adrianna.
“Are you meeting anyone for breakfast?” Lexi asked Winn.
“No.” Winn gave a little laugh. “I just got tired of my own cooking and decided to check out this place.”
“You’re welcome to join us,” Nick offered. “We have a large table toward the back. Who comes varies from week to week.”
“I’d like that.” Winn cast a pointed glance at Tripp, as if reminding him that he should have been the one to offer the invitation. “It’ll be my chance to get to know everyone a little better.”
Great, Tripp thought, just great. The day was getting better by the second.
The only good point was when he reached the table, Adrianna smiled at him and patted the chair next to where she was sitting. “I saved you a seat.”
Feeling oddly triumphant, Tripp pulled the chair back. He hoped Winn would take the empty seat at the far end of the table. Instead he chose the one next to Mitzi Sanchez, right across the table from Adrianna.
“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Tripp said to Mitzi.
Mitzi was an orthopedic surgeon who’d moved to Jackson Hole after residency. Some had linked her with Benedict Campbell, another physician in her group, but their relationship—if you could even call it that—had been tumultuous from the beginning.
Mitzi’s lips lifted in a wry smile and Tripp realized for not the first time that she was a beautiful woman. With her blue eyes and brownish-red hair, she looked more Irish than Argentinean. Even though Tripp liked her personally, for some reason he’d never been attracted to her. “You’d think with the ski season over we wouldn’t be as busy. But car accidents and trampolines have kept the surgery schedules full.”
“Is Ben here with you?”
Mitzi rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why everyone keeps asking me about him. We’re colleagues. Sometimes we’re even friends. But we’re certainly not joined at the hip.”
“On that positive note—” Winn smiled broadly and held out his hand to her “—I’m Winn Ferris and I’m not joined to anyone’s hip either.”
Tripp expelled a breath of relief, then turned to Adrianna, who looked positively lovely in bright red. The only thing he didn’t like about her dress was it didn’t show much skin. On second thought, with Winn at the table, that was a good thing.
“Thanks for saving me a seat,” he said in a low tone.
She gave him a wink. “That’s what girlfriends do.”
“Were you and Tripp at the movies last night?” Kate asked. Kate was a pediatrician in town and married to Joel Dennes, a prominent builder of high-end homes. “Joel and I had a date night and he swore he saw you and Tripp come in.”
Tripp glanced at Joel, a warning in his gaze. “We were there.”
If Joel had seen anything...unusual, he’d best keep it to himself.
The builder simply smiled benignly and took a sip of coffee.
“I absolutely loved the movie.” Kate shifted her gaze to Adrianna. “Tell me honestly, didn’t you feel like crying when they broke up?”
“I’m not much of a crier,” Adrianna admitted. “But I love it when good acting makes you feel such intense emotions.”
Good save, Tripp thought to himself. Adrianna hadn’t really said she’d watched the scene, but somehow she’d managed to answer Kate’s question. He was glad no one had asked him anything about the movie because he’d been otherwise occupied.
When the older waitress with garish orange lipstick approached the table and began taking orders, Adrianna leaned toward Tripp.
“I hope everything is okay with Betsy and the baby.” Her brows were furrowed with worry. “She’d told me she and Ryan would be in church, but I didn’t see them.”
Impulsively he reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m sure they’re fine. Perhaps they just decided to sleep in.”
“Oh, my goodness, it’s Betsy and Ryan,” Lexi called out.
Adrianna turned, her eyes lighting with pleasure. “And baby Nathan.”
“We can make more room at the table.” Nick started to rise to his feet.
“Don’t bother.” Ryan waved him down. “We can stay for only a second. We don’t want the baby out around many people when he’s so small.”
“I wanted to show everyone how cute he looks in the outfit Adrianna gave him.” Betsy held out the baby boy, dressed in a blue-and-white sailor suit, to her friend.
Adrianna took him in her arms with well-practiced ease. “He’s adorable, Bets. The sailor hat is so cute on him.”
“You should take a picture of him wearing it,” Tripp said in a low tone to Ryan. “You can show it to his rodeo buddies when he’s sixteen and they come over to the house.”
“Betsy loves it on him,” he said, looking surprisingly serious. “That’s what matters.”
“She’s got you whipped, boy,” Tripp teased.
“Guilty,” Ryan said with an easy smile. He lowered his voice. “Seriously, I’ve never been happier. I can’t believe it took me so long to see Betsy was the woman for me.”
The waitress gave up on taking orders for the moment as the women congregated around Betsy and the baby.
Ryan and Tripp took a step back.
“I hear you and Adrianna are...involved.”
Tripp wondered if Adrianna had told Betsy the truth about their relationship yet. If so, what had Betsy told Ryan?
“I’m happy to see you two together,” Ryan continued, not waiting for Tripp to respond. “I thought you’d be perfect for each other for a long time.”
A long time? Tripp had been with Gayle for years. Was his friend intimating...?
“Adrianna wasn’t even on my radar when I was married,” Tripp said abruptly.
“Of course not,” Ryan said, a look of surprise in his eyes. “I know you were faithful to Gayle. I was just saying that Adrianna seems happy.”
Tripp glanced at the midwife holding the tiny baby, who was gripping her finger with his little hand. Ryan was right. She did look happy. Perhaps this one-month fake relationship hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.
The baby unexpectedly let out a mewing cry that reminded Tripp of one of the
ranch kittens.
“Time to head home,” Betsy said with an apologetic smile.
Adrianna handed the baby back to Betsy with apparent reluctance. “He’s gorgeous, Bets. Simply gorgeous.”
“We think he’s pretty special,” her friend said with a proud smile.
After more hugs and handshakes, the couple left and everyone returned to their seats. The waitress finished taking their orders and the topic turned to Travis and Mary Karen’s retro party next weekend.
“Tell me we’re not going to have to play any silly games,” Tripp said to Travis, who sat at the far end of the table.
The popular ob-gyn physician just smiled.
His wife, Mary Karen, was more direct. “Depends on what you consider silly, Mr. Randall. I’d think you’d enjoy the chance to play, say, Twister or spin the bottle with your beautiful girlfriend.”
Girlfriend.
The charade had been a success. Everyone viewed them as a couple now. Tripp admitted it had been fairly easy for him to slip into that role. Too easy.
It’s just a game, he told himself. No harm. No foul.
With everyone gazing at him so expectantly, he took Adrianna’s hand in his and brought it to his lips. “You’re right. Count me in on the game playing.”
Some of the pleasure that had lit Adrianna’s eyes dimmed and he realized how she’d taken his words.
He leaned close, brushing her cheek with his lips. “I’m looking forward to Saturday night.”
“You’re not the only one, Randall,” Winn said, which told him the man had already secured an invitation. His gaze shifted and lingered on Adrianna. “I love Twister. And spin the bottle.”
Tripp turned and met Winn’s gaze head-on. Even though a smile remained on his lips, the look he shot Winn warned him to back off.
There was a responding challenge in Winn’s eyes. One that told Tripp if he didn’t keep Adrianna happy, Winn would.
Tripp placed his arm around the back of Adrianna’s chair. Although he’d planned to catch up on some work this afternoon, it suddenly seemed prudent to spend time with the woman at his side. “Interested in doing some hiking this afternoon?”
A doubtful look filled Adrianna’s emerald eyes. “Hiking?”
“Nothing too strenuous,” he said. “I thought we could go to Yellowstone, walk around Jenny Lake, then have an early dinner at the lodge.”
“I’m not much of an outdoorsy gal,” Adrianna said slowly.
He smiled as an image of the two of them under the stars flashed before him.
“Oh, I think you’re more outdoorsy than you think.” His tone took on a seductive edge. “Give it a try. It’ll be fun.”
When she nodded and smiled, a surge of triumph raced through him. He told himself he was excited because he hadn’t taken time to do much hiking this year. The truth was, he looked forward to spending the afternoon with Adrianna.
Far, far more than he should.
Chapter Fourteen
Adrianna glanced down at her green walking shorts and hiking shoes. Or she supposed they were hiking shoes. Because she’d never done any hiking, she wasn’t sure what one wore for a walk around a lake. She’d picked the ugliest and most comfortable shoes in her closet.
She knew she couldn’t wear a dress, although she had some pretty ones in her closet that Tripp hadn’t yet seen. Instead she’d topped the shorts with a stretchy gold T-shirt and a plaid shirt in fall colors that she left hanging open.
Even though she thought she looked way too casual, the way Tripp smiled when he saw her seemed to indicate he liked the outfit. His cargo shorts and navy T-shirt weren’t anything special, yet her gaze couldn’t help lingering on his muscular legs and broad shoulders. She could honestly say that in all the years she’d lived in Jackson Hole, the hospital had never had such a good-looking CEO.
She’d worried she might feel awkward or be consumed with lust—like she had in church—when they were in the close confines of his truck. Thankfully, neither happened on the drive to Yellowstone.
Oh, she had to admit that her body still perked up when she was close to Tripp, and for a few minutes she couldn’t help focusing on his lips. She hoped he didn’t notice. Or if he did, he thought she was simply hanging on to his every word.
Honestly, she enjoyed their conversation. He talked about his studies at Yale and his time working for a large health system in NYC. She told him about her nursing education and how she’d decided she wanted to become a midwife after a stint in Labor and Delivery.
The only thing that disturbed her was Tripp seemed to be making a conscious effort to avoid mentioning Gayle. Adrianna thought about bringing her up. After all, she didn’t want him to think he couldn’t mention his own wife when he was with her, but the time never seemed right.
All too soon, they were at the park and out of the truck, ready to face the great outdoors. She shivered with sudden alarm.
Didn’t snakes hang out by water?
“Have you ever been serious about a guy?” Tripp asked, after they’d started on the path around the large lake with the shimmering blue water.
Adrianna was so focused on scouting for reptiles slithering on the uneven terrain that the question didn’t register at first. “What?”
“You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman, Adrianna. I can’t believe you’ve made it to almost thirty without being in a relationship.”
“As you know, my parents were older and a bit overprotective.” Saying the words felt wrong, as if she was dissing her mom and dad, which she wasn’t. “I didn’t date at all in high school.”
“High school was a long time ago for both of us.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” she said, wondering why those years often loomed so large in her mind.
“What about college?” Tripp prompted.
Adrianna had tried to purge that time from her head. Especially the scandal that had erupted her senior year.
“I had a somewhat serious boyfriend,” she said in what she hoped was a casual tone.
“You obviously didn’t stay together.”
Adrianna realized with a start that he’d taken her hand in an almost comforting gesture. With him beside her the sick feeling she got when she thought back to her college days didn’t seem quite so pronounced. Or maybe the bad memories were finally beginning to fade. After all, that, too, had been such a long time ago.
“What happened?” Tripp prompted.
“Matt had a Jekyll-and-Hyde thing going.” Adrianna tried to keep any bitterness from her voice. She thought she’d succeeded until Tripp gave her hand a squeeze and slanted a questioning look in her direction.
“At first he was sweet,” she said with a sigh. “Then everything changed.”
“What happened?”
His curiosity told her Gayle had kept the story to herself, as she’d requested. Betsy knew the truth, too. They were the only ones she’d told.
An air of watchful waiting hung heavily between them.
Before answering, Adrianna lifted her face to the sun and let the warmth seep into the deepest recesses of her soul. Even though she hadn’t thought she’d ever tell him about that time, Adrianna suddenly wanted to explain. Needed to explain.
She felt close to Tripp. And she didn’t like having secrets from someone she lo—well, from someone she considered a dear friend. Adrianna knew the risk she’d be taking in coming clean. He might listen to her story, then walk away in disgust. It would be worse to see the disappointment in his eyes.
Yet, she would tell him. Soon. Before she lost her nerve. They reached a clearing. After scanning the ground, Adrianna stepped close to shore. She stared out over the endless blue but found no pleasure in the beauty surrounding her.
“You don’t have to tell me.” Tripp moved behind her, wrapping his arms lightly around her waist.
She leaned back against his broad chest, drawing strength from his warmth. “Matt was a physics major,” she began haltingly after several more seconds had p
assed. “I had a part-time position working for several professors in that department. That’s how we met.”
She tried to picture him in her mind, but after all these years the best she could come up with was a mass of rumpled dark hair and intense blue eyes. “I’d gone out with other guys, but after a couple of dates, I’d always lose interest.”
“He was different,” Tripp said against her hair, his voice giving nothing away.
“I think that was part of the appeal.” Adrianna pulled her brows together. “He was so into me. I was flattered by the attention. No one had given me that much notice before. He was brilliant and handsome and he wanted me.”
Tripp’s only response was to stroke her arm.
“While all the attention he gave me was really great, it was also overwhelming at times. And a little...scary.”
Tripp’s hand halted midstroke.
“We were always together. My college girlfriends had quit calling. He didn’t like my hanging around with them anyway.” Adrianna’s tone turned wistful. “I didn’t have any family. With my oldest and dearest friends far away, there was just...him.”
Tripp remained silent, allowing her to continue at her own pace.
“He had a temper. He’d get so angry with my stupidity, as he called it.” Adrianna sighed. It had taken several years of therapy for her to understand why Matt had been so successful in dismantling her self-confidence.
Adrianna felt Tripp’s body tense. She didn’t wait for him to respond. “Midway through second semester Matt told me there was something I needed to do for him. Didn’t ask. Told me.”
“What did he want you to do?” Tripp’s voice was tight with control.
“Nothing big.” Adrianna gave a humorless laugh. “Just get him a copy of an upcoming midterm exam off his professor’s computer. Matt wasn’t as smart as I thought, because he was only pulling a B in that course. Such a low grade in his major could have impacted his choice of graduate programs.”
“What did you tell him?”
Had Tripp asked, or had she just imagined the words?
“I said no. He was shocked. He tried everything to change my mind...including getting physical.” She brought a hand to her cheek. While Adrianna may have blocked out Matt’s facial features, she could still feel the sting of the hard slap that had turned the whole side of her face numb.
