One Hundred Ways: An Aspen Cove Romance

by Collins, Kelly

  “It’s a good thing you're sight-impaired.” She poked at his shoulder in jest.

  He hated to bring up Meg, because she was the one who started it all. “You have to learn to ignore Meg. Find your armadillo shell and let her barbs and verbal bullets bounce off you.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  “Sweetheart.” He leaned forward and rested his forehead on her breastbone. “She’s a professional asshole, and that skill isn’t on your resume. Don’t try to go toe-to-toe with her. Her words lash out from her hurt.”

  “I suppose you’re right. Don’t all of our actions come from our experiences?”

  “Yes, and you want to know what actions I want to act on?”

  She pressed her core closer to his growing erection. “You want to show me your produce?”

  He rose from the couch with her, wrapping her legs around his waist.

  “Nope. I’ll make you a carnivore yet, even if it’s only in bed.” With her wrapped around his body, he walked her to her room.

  Once there, he set her gently on the bed and stared down at her. He hoped his expression conveyed the emotions in his heart. He was falling hard for this woman. He loved her sweetness. Loved her ability to forgive. Loved she was willing to listen to reason. Loved her warrior spirit.

  Riley might think of herself as weak, but how many women would pack up what they owned and drive to a strange place to begin again? In that way, they were so much alike.

  “You know what I love about Aspen Cove?” He crossed his hands, grabbed the hem of his shirt, and pulled it over his head.

  “The people?”

  He shimmied her dress up her thighs, over her hips, and peeled it from the rest of her body. He tossed it aside in the same pile as his shirt.

  “Yes, but it’s more than that. This is a place where your dreams can come true. It’s where a small-town man came to be a fire chief. Where a pop star came to fall in love. Where a girl who hadn’t spoken a word found her voice. What do you want, Riley Black?”

  She reached up and gripped the belt loops of his jeans. “You, Luke Mosier. I want you.”

  “You’ve got me. I’m yours.”

  Her smile was bright enough to light the room. “I don’t think anyone has ever truly chosen me. You did.”

  He made quick work of undressing himself and rolling on a condom. With a quick tug from her hips, her lace panties joined the other clothes on the floor. He moved between her open thighs and entered her in one smooth stroke.

  He relished the sound that rushed from her mouth. It was a cross between a sigh and an ohhh. Her body fit him like a second skin. Hugging him tight and pulling him deeper. Once fully seated, he stopped all movement and waited for her to look at him.

  “I’ll always choose you.”

  * * *

  They made love several times that night. When her alarm rang at seven, they climbed out of bed and showered.

  They moved around her kitchen like a well-oiled machine despite not having been there before. He made toast while she brewed coffee. He buttered the bread while she pulled out the jam. At the door, they gave each other a kiss like they’d done it a thousand times before.

  He walked to the fire station while she headed across the street to work. These feelings he had for Riley were foreign to him. The way his heart ached when she walked away scared the hell out of him.

  When in doubt, he always called his brother.

  “Twice in a month?” Cade answered. “What the hell? You okay?”

  Luke smiled. “Yep, better than okay. I needed some woman advice.”

  Cade's laugh echoed through the phone. “Don’t forget, I date sheep. This isn’t my lane. Call Trinity.”

  “Have you ever been in love?”

  There was a moment of silence. “Dude, you need to call Trinity. I’m not the person to talk to when it comes to love.”

  “Okay, but I’ll never hear the end of it. Are you sure you don’t have any advice?”

  “I got plenty of advice. Run in the other direction, and if she manages to catch you, make sure you get a prenup.”

  Cade had been single for a long time. He’d married his high school sweetheart. Things were good for the first year until she decided she wanted stilettos instead of cowboy boots. She left him for their attorney.

  “Sorry to bring up old wounds.”

  “No worries. Besides, that crap's been scarred over for a decade or more. I’m a confirmed bachelor.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “You want to know about love? Call our sister, she’ll set you straight.” There was a pause. “Oh, and before you go, you know of any ranches nearby looking for some help? I’m a bit tired of the racehorses. I want to get back to moving cattle.”

  Could Luke’s life get any better? He had a beautiful girlfriend, and the possibility of his brother coming to Aspen was icing on the cake.

  “I’ll text you Lloyd Dawson’s number. He owns Big D Ranch and could use a hand.”

  “Big D sounds like the perfect place for me. Size does matter.”

  “Whatever. I’m calling Trinity.”

  He hung up with Cade and dialed Trinity.

  “Hey, big brother. What’s up?”

  He swallowed hard. It was a hit to his ego to call his sister, who was six years younger, and ask about love.

  “You ever been in love?”

  Her laugh started low and ended in a pitch that hurt his ears.

  “At least a hundred times. Why?”

  His sister never seemed to be alone, but he’d never considered her to be serious about anyone. She treated relationships like a change of clothes. When one got old or worn or out of fashion, she’d trade them in for another.

  “Seriously, how do you know if you’re in love or in like, with a high dose of lust thrown in?”

  He could almost see her chewing her lip.

  “Can you imagine your life without her?”

  He hadn’t thought much about it, but he did know his life was sweeter with her in it.

  “That’s not a good litmus test. You can live without anyone if you have to.”

  She groaned. “You asked.”

  “I need something solid.”

  "Okay… would you do anything for her? Give up something you love for her? Put her needs before yours?”

  “Yes,” he answered without question.

  “You’re in love. Who is she? What’s her name? What does she do? I need a picture. Will she make a great sister?”

  Trinity peppered him with too many questions.

  “Riley, she’s an artist, I don’t have a pic to send, and I think she’d make an awesome sister.”

  There was a squeal from the other end. It was so loud, he had to hold the phone away at arm's length.

  “When’s the wedding?”

  “Don’t rush things.”

  Luke walked into the station and made his way to his office, where James sat with his feet on top of his desk. He pushed them off. “Don’t you have something else to do?”

  “Hey,” his sister said, “you called me.”

  “Not you, Trin. James has decided his ass belongs in my chair and his feet belong on my desk.”

  “Oooh, James? Is he cute?”

  Luke chuckled. “If you like stray puppies.”

  “I love puppies. Send me a picture.”

  “Goodbye, Trin. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. I’d love you more if I got some pictures.”

  He hung up and looked at James.

  “Is there a reason you’re in here?” Luke wasn’t territorial about his space, but it was odd to see James sitting at his desk.

  “Nope, I’m hiding from Thomas.” He peeked around the corner. “I was trying to save time and tossed my clothes in with his. Who knew his whites would turn pink?”

  “You turned all his tighty whities pink?”

  “Like bubblegum.”

  “James!” Thomas roared from the garage. “You owe me.”

&n
bsp; James dove under the desk. “I’m not here unless your sister wants to talk to me. I can be her puppy. Does she look like you, or is she cute?”

  “Thomas,” Luke called. “He’s in here, cowering under the desk.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It had been several days since Riley ran out of the diner with her hair on fire from internalized rage. Since then, she’d thought long and hard about what Luke had told her. She’d turned and churned the words in her head while she worked around the clock to complete the sculptures for the benefit concert.

  Somewhere in-between was where the truth lay. That’s what Riley took from their conversation. Kathy’s truth, Riley’s truth, and the real truth. Meg’s version, her version, and the actual facts.

  When she walked into the diner after nearly no sleep, she found Maisey prepping coffee filters while Meg stocked the condiment shelf. Things had been tense for them, but with her aunt's constant presence, there wasn’t much time for snark on Meg’s part, but plenty of opportunity for dirty looks and sabotage. Things like salt in the sugar and other high school-age pranks were a daily occurrence.

  In order to have a good work experience, she and Meg needed to come to an understanding of sorts, even if it meant they never spoke to each other.

  “Mind if I steal Meg for a moment, Aunt Maisey?” A nervous warble filtered through her voice. She wasn’t confrontational. Her mode of operation was generally to cave to pressure, curl in on herself. She’d often retreat before conflict could arise. To confront the issue was a new experience but one she’d need to conquer in order to survive. Maybe that had been her problem all along. Maybe she’d left it up to others to defend her, and if they didn’t, she settled into her role as martyr.

  Her aunt gave a head tilt and then a nod. “Don’t kill each other.”

  “Not planning on bloodshed,” she teased.

  Riley told Meg to grab her cigarettes and come out back with her. She knew the woman wouldn’t miss a chance to take a break.

  Standing behind the diner with the forest as their backdrop, Riley began.

  “I know you don’t like me.”

  An unlit cigarette dangled from Meg’s lips before she set it alight. One big drag and a cloud of smoke later, she spoke.

  “It’s not that I don’t like you. It’s simply you have the things I want.”

  Riley leaned against the wall. This was a new experience for her. In Butte, no one would have been jealous of her.

  “You mean Luke?”

  She took another long drag, but this time Meg blew the smoke into the air rather than Riley’s face.

  “It’s more than that. You have an awesome aunt. You’ve got the apartment across the street. You've got the studio, and yes, there’s Luke. Must be nice to have everyone give you something.” She flicked her ash to the asphalt.

  “It is nice, but it’s not something I’m used to. My whole life, I’ve fought for what I got. Moving to Aspen Cove was the change I needed.” She almost hung her head in shame, as if the life she lived wasn’t deserved. That needed to change, so she pulled back her shoulders and held her head high.

  “What do you want from me? You already got it all. What could I possibly give you?” Meg tossed the cigarette butt onto the asphalt and ground her heel against it.

  “I was hoping we could call a truce. That maybe if we set aside our jealousies, we might be friends.”

  Meg lifted her plucked thin brow. “You’re jealous of me?”

  In reality, there was nothing about Meg that Riley coveted, except maybe her black and white saddle shoes, but she knew she had to toss some flattery the woman’s way, or things would never move forward.

  “Sure, you’re pretty, and you always look so darn cute in your pinup girl outfit. You make more money in tips, too.” That was because she stole half of Riley’s, but mentioning that would set them back.

  Meg moved her head so her ponytail would swing back and forth. “I told you to show your personality and the tips would be good.”

  She looked down at her average-sized chest. “I fear you have a lot more personality than I do.”

  Meg laughed. She cupped her indecently exposed girls and shook them. “So much damn personality.”

  “Can we start over?” Riley took a step forward.

  “You already have my man. So no, but we can move forward from here.” Meg pulled Riley in for a hug and nearly crushed her. “You think you can get me a date with Thomas?”

  They turned and headed in the door.

  “No, but I can put in a word.”

  “A good word,” Meg said as she tossed her lighter and cigarettes on the table.

  Riley tagged her aunt, who pulled the early shift. She usually arrived around four to open the place at five for the commuters and the long-haul truckers who stopped in.

  “Doc’s order is in, and Luke arrived.” Maisey untied her apron and kissed Riley on the cheek. “Have I told you lately how proud of you I am?”

  “Yes, and thank you.” There wasn’t a day that went by where Maisey didn’t have a kind word for her. “Love you.”

  “Love you more, sweetheart.”

  “Love you most,” Riley replied, and her aunt rolled her eyes.

  Dalton slid Doc’s pancakes out the order window. “How’s the art going?”

  “It’s going. I’m working day and night on it. It will be close, but I’ll have it ready.”

  She could have made them less realistic, but what was the purpose in showcasing a piece that wasn’t her best work? She wanted the instruments to play. Who wouldn’t want to strum a six-foot steel guitar? Getting the frets and the strings right was her biggest challenge.

  “Your boy toy is in. Why don’t you wait on him this time? I’ll take Doc his cakes.” Meg picked up the plate and left.

  “What did you do to our Meg?”

  “I asked for a truce.”

  “Wow. Who knew that was all it would take?” He turned from the window to cook the next order.

  Riley headed over to Luke with a pot of coffee.

  He turned over his mug. “What time did you leave?”

  He hated that she left him in bed in the middle of the night, but she couldn’t help it. There was no way she’d fail the people who put such faith in her.

  “Three.” She pulled her hand to her mouth to cover her yawn.

  “Look at you, you’re sleepwalking.”

  She looked around the diner to make sure everyone had what they needed. “I’ll be all right.”

  Luke reached out and took her hand. “I care about you, and I’m worried you’ll get hurt. People cut corners when they’re tired.”

  “I’m almost finished. A couple more days, tops.”

  Meg walked over, and Riley looked up to see how she’d react to Luke and the public display of affection. They’d been careful not to throw gas on the fire when it came to Meg.

  “Hey there, Luke.” She tossed an envelope on the table in front of him. “Doc says you’re all set. Whatever that means.”

  Luke let out a whoop and fist pumped the air. He glanced past Meg to where Doc sat and gave him a thumbs up.

  “What’s going on?”

  He looked directly into Riley’s eyes, completely ignoring Meg. “I bought some land to build a house.”

  She knew he hated the rental he lived in. The place probably should have been condemned. The plaster crumbled when it was touched, and things dropped from the ceilings and walls all the time. Last night as she left, the doorknob came off in her hand.

  “Land?”

  Luke looked between the two but settled his eyes on Riley. “I wanted to surprise you. How would you like to wake up to a water view?”

  “Oh my God. Really?”

  He slid the papers over and grabbed both of her hands. “I bought the lot next to Dalton and Sam’s place. Thought maybe you could help me design a house.”

  “There you go again. Getting it all.” Meg's eyes narrowed as if the idea irked her, but then she
smiled. “Congratulations, you two. That sounds fabulous.” She picked up the coffee pot Riley brought over. “You should rest a bit. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends for far too long.”

  Riley looked at her. “How do you know?”

  Meg shrugged and walked away.

  “That one is still trouble,” Luke said.

  “True, but she’s nicer trouble now.”

  They forgot all about Meg while Luke told her about the property. “I’m meeting Noah Lockhart here to talk about the timeline and get his ideas on house plans that would fit a waterfront property.”

  “Noah Lockhart? Isn’t he the guy I talked to at the bar? Tall. Dark. Handsome.”

  Luke frowned. “I don’t know. I’ve always thought he looked like a troll mated with a sasquatch.”

  Riley reached over and slugged him in the arm. “Luke Mosier, are you jealous?”

  He lifted and sat beside her. “How can I not be? I have the most beautiful girlfriend.” He rubbed the dark circles under her eyes with his thumb. “Even the raccoon look favors you.”

  “Flattery will get you everywhere—later.”

  “I’m counting on it.”

  She shifted her hip to scoot him from the booth. “I’ve got to get to work, or I’ll use up all my nice points with Meg in one morning. You want bacon and eggs, hash browns, and wheat toast?”

  “I want you, but I guess breakfast will have to do.”

  She left the booth but snuck in a quick kiss. “Yes, for now.”

  “Any chance you can skip the studio tonight and have dinner with me?”

  “Nope, but I promise after the concert, I’m all yours.”

  “Baby, you’re already all mine. After the concert, I might see you more.”

  How wonderful that sounded. Although her schedule was crazy right now, they managed to find time for each other. Luke pulled his all-nighters at the station, and she’d stop by when she finished at the studio. When he came off shift, she was often back at the studio, so he brought her coffee and a muffin from the bakery.

  If they managed to fall into bed together, she generally snuck out early to get a few hours in at the studio before she pulled her shift at the diner. So far it was working, but she could see the want in his eyes. Her heart ached to be with him.