One Hundred Ways: An Aspen Cove Romance

by Collins, Kelly

  Riley wanted to tell her animals were a good judge of character, but that would have been the kind of snark Meg dished out, and she didn’t want to be Meg.

  “He’s only got one eye, so maybe you caught him unaware once, and now he’s cautious.” Neither of them believed that, but they let it slide on by.

  “Tell me about your work at the studio. I keep hearing about these metal sculptures.”

  Cannon brought over her drink. After a sip, Riley told her all about her work as an apprentice to her father, who did more industrial welding but supported her artistic side. She was happy to share that with Meg, who looked bored but never once interrupted.

  “After my father died and my stepmother sold the property, I came here.”

  “Lucky us,” Meg said. She dug into her purse and pulled out her cigarettes and lighter. “I need a smoke.” She popped out of her chair and walked toward the back door.

  Luke walked inside. He found her immediately in the almost empty bar and came to sit beside her.

  “I wanted to see you before you left for the studio.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss.

  Cannon walked up with a beer and a cup of coffee. “Are you on? Drinking or no?”

  Luke reached for the beer. “I’m off duty. Thomas and James are at the station.”

  “Laundry duty?” Riley asked.

  Luke chuckled. “No doubt.” He glanced around the bar. “Slow tonight. I’d have figured Sage and Doc and Bowie would be here.”

  “The twins are on their way. Sage, Lydia, and Doc went with Charlie to the hospital in Copper Creek. Bowie went as moral support to Trig.”

  Riley took a drink of her soda. “I’m a twin.”

  Cannon’s eyes grew wide.

  “Identical?”

  “Nope, my twin has a penis. His name is Baxter.”

  “I can’t even imagine having twins. That’s got to be so hard on the mother. What about yours? How did she survive having you and your brother?”

  “She didn’t.” She looked up at Cannon. “She abandoned us. My father was looking for a mother for his kids. Kathy was looking for a man with a job. We were pawns in a marital negotiation.”

  Luke pulled her in and kissed her head. “I would have paid anything for you.”

  Cannon laughed. “You got it bad, buddy. No cure either.”

  Luke lifted his mug of beer. “Thanks, man. What about you? Any babies in your future?”

  Cannon let out a playful growl. “It took me years to get her to the altar, but I’m hopeful. I hear babies are contagious.”

  “You two are talking like babies and love are leprosies.”

  “No way. All I’m saying is, when you find the one you love, you want it to be eternal. Who wants to fall out of love?”

  “Not me,” Luke said and blushed.

  “Did you tell me in a roundabout way you love me?”

  He pulled the mug of beer to his lips. “Pleading the Fifth.”

  “Hmm, you’re playing hard to get.”

  He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I’m hard, but when it comes to you, I’m easy.”

  “For everyone, or only me?”

  “You’re it for me.”

  A shadow was cast across the table, and they both looked up to Meg’s frown, which immediately turned into a smile.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Ah, loverboy is here.” Meg took the empty seat next to Riley.

  Luke was happy to see she was respecting boundaries. A week ago, she would have climbed into his lap.

  He gave her a cursory nod. “Meg.”

  “You’re squeezing into girls' night out.”

  Beneath the table, he set his hand on Riley’s thigh and watched her face for a reaction. She always had some kind of response to his touch. A smile. A sigh. A moan. Tonight, it was a smile.

  She turned to look at him. “Missed me already?” Leaning into him, she laid her head on his shoulder.

  All the while he looked at Meg, whose easy demeanor hadn’t changed except for the tic in her clenched jaw. She reached into her purse and pulled out a twenty, placing it on the table. “I’ve got to run, but I’ll see you both soon.” She shouldered the strap of her purse and left.

  “Wow, what happened to the Meg we all know and loathe?”

  “She’s all right. Maybe she’s misunderstood, like most people.”

  Cannon walked over and picked up the dirty glass and the cash. “It’s surprising to see her leave alone. I was ready for her to pull out the gloves and fight Riley for you.”

  Luke sipped his beer. He scooted his chair closer to Riley. “Meg must have finally figured out she would have never had a chance.” He turned to look at her. “How could she when I’m in love with Riley?”

  The mention of love silenced them all. It was Cannon who spoke first. “I’m all about the love.” He turned and walked away, leaving them to ponder Luke’s confession. While they had joked about it earlier, he hadn’t actually said the words, but now that they were out, they felt true and right.

  “You do love me.” Riley’s smile was like high beam headlights.

  Luke shrugged. “I think you’re all right.”

  She shouldered him and laughed.

  He waited for her to say the words back. Her love was evident in the way she looked at him, the way she kissed him, the way her body talked to his when they made love.

  As she opened her mouth, Cannon walked back with a bottle of wine. “Let’s toast to love.” No sooner had he poured them a glass, all hell broke loose in the bar with the arrival of Trig, Bowie, and Doc.

  Trig stood in the center of the room and threw his hands in the air. “I’m a dad to two beautiful, healthy boys.” He pounded on his chest like a caveman.

  Besides Luke and Riley, there was only one other patron in the bar. Luke didn’t know the man well, but he recognized him as Tilden Cool. The man had been present both times old man Tucker’s stills blew.

  What always struck Luke as odd was Tilden appeared to be educated and refined. He couldn’t understand why he’d be hanging around the town’s bootlegger.

  “Congratulations,” Riley said. She rose from her chair and hugged the new father. “What did you name your boys?”

  All three men pulled up chairs around Luke and Riley’s table.

  Cannon came back with frosted mugs and a pitcher of beer.

  Trig took his phone from his pocket and showed off his beautiful boys.

  “This handsome guy is Jonah. He’s the firstborn. He came out screaming like a banshee.” He scrolled to the next photo. “This is Jason and he didn’t make a peep. Everyone was worried, but he was fine. It was as if he was taking it all in. They suctioned out his mouth, and he took a big breath, scrunched up his face like he would scream to the heavens, but then he closed his mouth and appeared to look around.”

  Luke picked up his glass of wine. “Here’s to the love of a fine woman and the blessings she brings to her man.” He tapped his glass with the men and turned to face Riley. “I’m so happy you’re mine.”

  Trig continued to show pictures of his children. He even showed one of Charlie holding the twins. Luke’s heart warmed at the sight. If he closed his eyes, he could picture the same scene with Riley, only he hoped there would only be one child in her arms. He wanted many, but one at a time seemed more doable.

  Her being a twin meant it ran in families, but he’d always heard it skipped a generation.

  “I should get over to the studio and work,” she said.

  She’d only taken a sip of her wine, which he knew meant she’d planned on pulling an all-nighter.

  “Can’t you stay for a few minutes? We’re celebrating the birth of two new Aspen Cove residents.”

  At the mention of her leaving, Bowie chimed in, “You can’t go now, all the girls are on their way. Maisey is heading to our house to watch Sahara and Sage and Lydia are on their way.”

  Doc piped in, “Even Agatha is coming, and she doesn’t miss The Bachelor for
anyone.”

  They all laughed at that.

  Luke looked at her pleadingly. “Take tonight off. I promise to help in any way I can.”

  She caved into the pressure easily, picked up her glass, and took a deep drink.

  “You’re a bad influence, Luke Mosier.”

  “No risk, no reward.”

  She leaned into him and purred, “Is there a reward?”

  He bit his lip and shook his head. “Oh baby, I’ll show you when we get home.”

  He felt her body shudder next to his. It was exactly what he wanted more of later, only when she shuddered next time, they’d be naked, and he’d be deep inside her.

  A few minutes later, Sage and Lydia walked in, followed by Samantha and Dalton.

  The girls squealed with delight. They took out their phones and showed off pictures of the twins as if they’d given birth to them themselves.

  Agatha walked in, all smiles. “I’m a grandma,” she announced.

  The guys pulled several tables together in the center of the room. What had been an intimate gathering turned into a party. Even Tilden joined them.

  Several glasses of wine later, Sage stood up and made an announcement. “Seeing those babies made me want one.” Her eyes went to Cannon. “What do you say? You want to knock me up?”

  His eyes got wide, and his mouth dropped open. “Now?”

  She sidled up to him and whispered in his ear.

  Cannon raced behind the bar. When he returned, he tossed his brother Bowie the keys and swept Sage into his arms. “Have a good night, all. I’ve got a job to do.”

  As soon as the door closed behind them, the remaining crowd broke into laughter.

  Bowie turned to Sage’s sister Lydia, who was also one of the town’s doctors. “What about you? Are you next?”

  She shook her head. “I’m still trying to raise Wes.”

  Doc grumbled something about youth being wasted on the young. “Where is that man of yours?”

  “He’s in Frazier Falls this week with Noah Lockhart. They’re checking out some kind of sustainable house building project a guy named Owen Cooper has developed."

  “I’m putting one of their houses on my property,” Luke said.

  All eyes turned to him.

  “Where did you finally buy?” Bowie asked. “I heard you were looking at the property next to Abby Garret.”

  The only people who knew about his purchase were Doc, Samantha, Dalton, Riley, and Thomas. He wasn’t much of a talker and tended to keep information close to his chest. It was a surprise even to him that he’d talked of his love for Riley in front of Cannon.

  “I bought the lot next to Dalton and Samantha’s.” He took a drink of his wine. “I was looking at property next to Abby’s, but it’s in a sealed trust and can’t be purchased. The land has changed hands several times. It belonged to the Coolidge family, and then the Carvers. The last owner was Bea Bennett, but then it was turned over to a lawyer and is now in a trust."

  “Fine purchase, son. You’ll be happy there.” Doc shook his head. “That Bea had her hands in a lot of things. It wouldn’t surprise me if another pink letter showed up down the road.”

  Everyone looked at Doc, because if anyone knew about Bea’s pink letters, it was him. He’d delivered the bulk of them the day of her funeral.

  “You know something, don’t you?” Katie asked. She’d been a recipient of one of Bea’s pink letters. It was what brought her to Aspen Cove.

  Doc drained his beer. “I know a lot of things. Right now, I know I need to go to bed, or I’ll be grumpy in the morning.”

  Lydia laughed. “You’re grumpy every morning.” She’d been working with him for almost a year now, after coming to Aspen Cove to stay and help out until she found her dream job. Little did she know, she’d not only get a job, she’d find a husband, too.

  “Are you ready, Lovey?” Doc asked Agatha. “I DVR’d your show.”

  She wrapped her arm through his. “You’re such a romantic.”

  Luke emptied his wine glass. “I think we’re out, too.” He turned to her. “Ready to go?” He offered his hand and helped her up. “Got to get this one to bed.”

  Bowie laughed. “You mean get that one in bed. All this talk of love and babies and everything.”

  Dalton put his hands over his ears. “Dude, that’s my cousin. I don’t want the details.”

  Luke congratulated Trig once more and guided Riley to his SUV. “I’ll drop you off at the diner in the morning.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You’re making sure I can’t leave in the middle of the night.”

  “That, too. I want to wake up with you next to me.” Leaving her car at her apartment was a good plan. She’d be less likely to abandon his bed in the middle of the night if she had to walk several blocks in the cold mountain air. Even in late summer, the day temperatures could drop fifty degrees by nightfall.

  Once they were at his home, he took her straight to bed. He didn’t hurry but took his time to show her how much he loved her. Words were just words, but actions were concrete. He stroked her body until she quivered beneath him. Soon after, he found his own pleasure.

  Side by side, they faced each other. He thumbed her chin so she would look at him.

  “I meant every word I said.”

  Her lazy, sated smile made him happy. “What part?”

  He kissed her forehead. “All the parts.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “The one you should focus on is I love you.” He kissed her lips.

  She gave in to him so easily, her mouth opened, and their tongues danced together. When he pulled away, he saw a tear slide down her cheek.

  “I know it’s soon, but it’s real.” He touched his heart. “I’ve never said those words to anyone but my family and my horse.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “I’m up there with your horse?”

  He laughed. “Baby, you’re up there above everyone, including my horse—who, by the way, bucked me off and left me stranded several miles from home.”

  “What did you do?”

  He decided to mess with her. “Sold him to a company that makes dog food.”

  She gasped. “You did not.”

  He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. My father took him to Wyoming, where he spent his final days eating his way through several acres of grass.”

  “You’re a good man, Luke Mosier.” She placed her hand over his heart. “I’ve never been told by a man that he loved me. I’m not sure how it’s supposed to feel, but it feels right. It makes me feel warm inside, but it also scares the hell out of me.” She snuggled closer to him. So close he could no longer see her eyes. “I love you, too. I may have loved you that first day at the diner when I saw your green eyes.”

  “Then I was mean to you.”

  She nodded against his chest. “Yes, you were, but you’ve more than made up for that.”

  “And you’re still scared?” He splayed his hands across her back and pulled her to him so they were skin to skin. He wanted to assure her that he was nothing to fear.

  “Loving someone this much is risky. What if I wake up one morning and it’s all gone? How will I survive?”

  Her life experiences didn’t lend themselves to high levels of trust. It was a shame he’d have to redeem all of her past relationships through his actions, but he would.

  “I’ll never leave you, Riley. I won’t turn my back on you when you need me. I’m here for you, always.”

  “You better be, or you’ll find yourself sent out to pasture like your horse.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The next few days passed by in a blur of pancakes, steel guitars, and love.

  Riley delivered Doc’s breakfast and asked how things were going.

  “I woke up, so that’s a pretty good start for a man my age.”

  She wanted to ask how old that was but knew it would be rude. Her best guess was early seventies, but he could have been ninety for all she knew.

  He looked around the diner. Th
ere were a few regulars, but it was slow. “Have a seat, young lady. You look like you’re about to drop.”

  She’d been putting in a lot of hours the last few days. If she averaged four hours of sleep a night, she’d be surprised. She slid into the booth across from him.

  “You need something from me, Doc?”

  He took a bite of pancake and chewed, but it seemed to Riley he was chewing on more than food.

  “I wanted to get to know you better. Tell me what you love.”

  The first thought that came to mind was Luke, and she had no doubt Doc knew her exact thought by her blush.

  “I mean outside of that fine young man of yours.” He sipped his coffee. A brown stain formed on his white mustache until he wiped it dry.

  “I’m finding my way. I like working here. It makes me feel like I’m part of something. As you know, I’m an artist.” She sat taller as she said the words. “I love working with metal.”

  “What about your family?”

  She felt a squeeze to her heart thinking about her father and brother. Thinking about Kathy always left her cold.

  “I’ve got a twin.”

  He swallowed the bite in his mouth. “Seems to be a plague around here. All these things are coming in twos.”

  “There’s only your grandsons that I know of, right?”

  He tipped his head from side to side. “Yep, Jason and Jonah, you and your brother, and there’s the two Lockharts.”

  “Oh, wow, it’s not often you run into so many twins. I’m obviously not identical to Baxter. What about the Lockharts? Are they identical twins like your grandsons?”

  “Oh no, Quinn is as fair as a Nordic, and Bayden is his polar opposite.”

  She thought back to the day she’d met Noah Lockhart and seen him leave with three men. There was a blonde in the group she never considered would be related to them.

  “Baxter and I have a similar look, but he’s taller, and of course, he’s a man.”

  “Are you two close?”

  “Geography puts a damper on things. He’s in Boise, and I’m here, but we love each other.”