by Cindi Myers
“I never have to worry about that, period, in Crested Butte,” Tanya said.
“Don’t you miss it sometimes, though?” Angela asked.
“Miss what?” Tanya dunked a tortilla chip in Donita’s homemade salsa.
“Acting. I mean, professionally. Being a celebrity.”
Tanya pondered the question, trying to find words for her mixed-up feelings. “I miss the excitement of trying out for new roles, and the feeling that I was always pushing myself to be better. But I don’t miss the backstabbing and the competition and the constant blows to my ego. It stopped being glamorous a long time ago.”
“Glamour is overrated,” Casey said. “Growing up with a dad who was a politician and a mom whose goal in life was to have her name at the top of the social register, I went to enough fancy-dress balls and excruciatingly boring cocktail parties to last me a lifetime.”
Tanya studied her dinner companion more closely. “How did you end up in Crested Butte?” she asked.
“I came here to start over. I wanted somewhere as far from the Chicago social scene as I could get and this was it.” Casey grinned. “I’d only been here a few weeks when it started to feel like home.”
“A certain hunky snowboard shop owner probably helped,” Angela said.
“Max was definitely an attraction,” Casey admitted. “But that’s part of being at home in a place, too, isn’t it? Family ties and all that?”
Tanya nodded. Family ties had certainly brought her back to Crested Butte, though living in her parents’ house, especially now that she was seeing more of Jack, was definitely cramping her style. “I need to find a place of my own,” she said.
“Good luck with that,” Casey said. “There’s not much out there right now. But I’ll keep an eye open.”
“Thanks. Jack said he’d go with me to look at some possibilities.”
“That’s a good idea,” Casey said. “And being a builder, maybe he knows some properties that aren’t on the market yet.”
“But you can’t go this weekend,” Angela said.
“Why not?” Tanya asked.
“Because you have to help me and Bryan cook chili.” Angela laughed at Tanya’s startled expression.
“The chili cook-off and beer festival is this weekend at Crested Butte Mountain Resort,” Casey said. “Max and Zephyr put together a team, so Trish and I will be there, but we’re going to make the men do all the cooking. We’re only there for moral support.”
“Bryan got roped into it by his boss,” Angela said. “Mr. Phelps thinks it would be good publicity for the hotel, but of course, he’s going to be out of town for the weekend, so we could use a couple more people to help.”
“Bryan is going to be cooking the chili?” Tanya asked.
“Are you kidding? The man can hardly fry an egg.” Angela shook her head. “I’m creating a new recipe with a secret ingredient.”
“Chocolate!” Casey and Tanya spoke at once.
Angela laughed. “Why not? Cocoa was a spice before it was served as a sweet. It’ll be great, I promise.”
“Coming from anyone else, I’d be skeptical,” Tanya said. “But I know you have a magic touch when it comes to food.”
“Then you and Jack will help at our booth Saturday?”
“I’ll have to ask Jack, but I’m free. As long as Annie can come, too.”
“Of course she can come. I’ll make sure we have an apron that’s just her size, and I’ll bring a stool so she can stand and help stir the chili.”
SATURDAY MORNING, Jack helped Bryan lug four large stockpots of chili from Angela’s car to the booth designated for the Elevation Elation team. When Tanya had asked if he wanted to help Bryan and Angela at the festival, he’d jumped at the chance to redeem himself. “As long as I don’t have to wear a silly costume,” he cautioned.
“Only an apron and a ball cap,” Tanya said.
“I can handle that.”
And he could definitely handle the prospect of spending the day with Tanya and their friends eating chili, sampling microbrews and having a good time. Across from the Elevation Elation booth, Max and Zephyr, along with Max’s wife, Casey, and Zephyr’s girlfriend, Trish Sanders, were hanging a banner designating their booth as home of Maximum Force Chili. Zephyr wore a large stuffed chili pepper on his head and was dressed in red from head to toe.
“I heard your wife talked you into playing the Green Man at Vinotok,” Jack said to Max when he stopped in front of the Maximum Force booth.
“Yeah. She’s a hard woman to say no to.” Max glanced at Zephyr. “I’m counting on everyone being so distracted by Zephyr’s turn as Sir Hapless that they won’t even notice me.”
“You’re Sir Hapless?” Jack choked back a laugh.
Zephyr held a wooden spoon aloft like a sword. “It’s going to be great,” he said. “This time everyone will be rooting for Sir Hapless to win.”
“Who’s the dragon?” Max asked.
“I promised not to tell,” Zephyr said. He pointed his imaginary sword at the Elevation Elation booth. “But you might be working with him today.”
“Hey, Jack, are you going to stand around talking all day, or are you going to cook chili?” Bryan called.
“I thought you couldn’t cook,” Jack said when he returned to their booth.
“He can’t.” Angela took a wooden spoon from her boyfriend. “You two are supposed to persuade people to try our chili and to vote for it as the best.”
“I can be your assistant,” Bryan insisted. He took back the spoon.
“I’m her assistant.” Annie, dressed in a pint-size apron and chef’s toque, stood on a chair beside the gas burners that held two large kettles of Angela’s secret ingredient chili.
“You be the cooking assistant,” Bryan said. “I’ll be the fetch-and-carry assistant.” He picked up a sheaf of paper and began fanning Angela. “Your wish is my command.”
Angela rolled her eyes. “You don’t fool me. You just don’t want to serve chili to the masses.”
“There’s a reason I was never a waiter,” Bryan said. “I hate carrying trays of food, and it’s hard, hot work.” He perched on a stool at the back of the booth. “I’ll stay here and supervise.”
“Jack and I will handle serving duties,” Tanya said. “What do we have to do?”
“The winner of the contest is decided by public vote,” Angela said. “People can sample as much chili as they want, then they cast their ballot over there.” She indicated a booth at the end of the twin row of chili stalls. “Your job is to persuade them to vote for Elevation Elation Chili.”
Jack glanced at Tanya. Her low-cut jeans and pink and brown Chocolate Moose T-shirt showed off her curves, and she didn’t look much older than she had when they’d graduated. When she flashed her hundred-watt smile at him, he’d have gladly picked her chili, her candidate or anything else she wanted.
“Care to make a wager?” she asked.
“What do you suggest?”
“The one who gets the most votes wins a home-cooked dinner from the other,” she said.
“Can you cook?” he asked.
“Yes. Can you?”
“Well enough.” He was no gourmet, but he could grill a decent steak. “How will we tally the votes?”
“We’ll ask people for their vote and each keep track of how many yeses we get.” She rummaged in her purse and came up with a pen, a pencil and a pad of sticky notes. She divided the pad in half and handed him the pen.
“No fair erasing,” he said.
She stuck out her tongue, then settled the pencil behind one ear and sauntered out from behind the counter, intent on her first victim. “Would you like to try some of our Elevation Elation chili?” she asked a stout, balding man in a red T-shirt and khakis. “It’s made with a secret ingredient that adds a richness and flavor you won’t find in any other chili.”
The man stopped and beamed at her. “What’s the secret ingredient?” he asked.
“The same thing
the Aztecs used in their mole,” Tanya said. “They considered it to be a source of wisdom and an aphrodisiac.”
The man accepted the cup of chili and tried a spoonful. “Pretty good. So what is this mysterious ingredient?” he asked.
“Chocolate.” Tanya smiled at him. “Will you remember to vote for Elevation Elation chili?”
“I’ll certainly consider it, young lady.”
As he walked away, Tanya made a show of making a mark on her notepad.
“He only said he’d consider voting for us,” Jack protested. “He didn’t say he would.”
“That’s as good as a yes in my book.” She turned away, already focused on her next quarry, a young couple who had paused to study Zephyr’s outlandish outfit. “Would you like to try our Elevation Elation Chili?” she cooed. “It’s made with a secret ingredient.”
Jack turned away, and almost collided with a tall brunette. “Hello!” he said.
“Hi.” Her smile was openly flirtatious.
“Would you like to try some chili?” He offered a tray of paper cups and spoons. “It’s called Elevation Elation chili and contains a secret ingredient that some people think is an aphrodisiac.”
“Oysters?” The woman wrinkled her nose. “That sounds awful.”
“Not oysters,” he said. “Chocolate.”
“Chocolate chili?” She laughed and accepted a cup. “Okay, I’ll give it a try.”
“I know women love chocolate,” he said. “Will you vote for us as the best chili?”
“I’ll vote for you,” she said, and sauntered away.
Jack made a tick mark on his sheet. “I heard that,” Tanya said.
Jack could feel the heat of her gaze from across the book. “You know how much I hate to lose,” he said.
“And you know how much I like to win.”
“Are Mama and Jack fighting?” Annie asked.
“No, darling, they’re not fighting,” Angela reassured her. “They’re flirting.”
“What’s flirting?”
“Sort of like teasing. Between men and women. Sometimes it’s even fun to watch.”
For the next two hours, Jack and Tanya vied for the attention and votes of passersby. Though he tried to focus on hawking chili, Jack was keenly aware of Tanya nearby—the lilt of her laughter, the brightness of her smile and the soft and sexy tenor of her voice. When he was younger, he’d thought he could spend the rest of his life listening to her and looking at her and this afternoon he realized he was right. The knowledge made his chest tighten painfully. The big question now was whether or not she felt the same way, but it might be a while before he knew the answer. He wasn’t known for his patience, but this time he’d have to make an exception.
TANYA HAD FORGOTTEN that Jack’s laid-back nature concealed a keen competitor. Just as he’d practiced for hours to be the best at basketball, now he threw himself into winning votes for Elevation Elation Chili.
While she touted the chili as an aphrodisiac, organic, low-cal and a “local” favorite, he went straight for the sympathy vote. With a self-deprecating grin, he pleaded to women and men alike. “Please say you’ll vote for this chili. If you don’t, my girlfriend will never let me live it down.”
But the low blow came when Jack co-opted her own daughter against her. When Annie tired of stirring the chili, she wandered onto their side of the booth. “Hey, Annie,” Jack said. “Want to help me?”
“Sure!” Annie’s grin reached from ear to ear as she skipped over to him. Jack had definitely captured her daughter’s heart; the knowledge only added to Tanya’s growing feelings for him. But Annie’s affection for Jack complicated matters as well. What happened if things didn’t work out with Tanya and Jack? Would Annie be hurt, too? The child had already been wounded by Stuart’s neglect; Tanya would do everything in her power to protect her from being hurt that way again.
“Here you go.” Jack handed Annie two cups of the chili. “Hand these out to people and tell them that you and Jack want them to vote for it as the best chili.”
“Great!” Annie hurried to stop a passing couple. “You should try this,” she said. “It’s the best chili ever!”
“You can’t use my own daughter against me,” Tanya complained when she and Jack met at the counter as they both collected new samples to distribute.
“All’s fair in love and war,” he said, and winked. Her knees felt wobbly and she had to turn away. With his killer smile—not to mention a body sculpted by hours of construction work—she probably would have voted for his side, too. And she was secretly thrilled that he got along so well with Annie.
In the end, Elevation Elation Chili didn’t make the top three. “I guess Crested Butte isn’t ready for chocolate chili,” Angela said as they packed up the booth.
“Nobody could compete with Max and Zephyr,” Tanya said. Midway through the afternoon, Zephyr had climbed on top of the Maximum Force booth and treated the crowd to an impromptu concert, complete with a rock ballad extolling the virtues of Maximum Force Chili.
“Who won the competition between you and Tanya?” Bryan asked.
“I won by three votes!” Tanya held the two yellow slips of paper aloft.
“It’s your acting ability that did me in,” Jack said. “I guess I owe you a steak dinner.”
“How about next weekend?” she asked.
“All right,” he said. He moved closer and whispered in her ear. “I’m looking forward to having you alone at my house for another evening.”
The words sent a warm thrill through her. “Maybe I’ll cook for you when I have my own place,” she said.
“I found a couple of spots we can look at when you’re ready,” he said. “They were vacation rental units, but the owners are open to a long-term tenant.”
“That would be great,” she said. “Could we meet on Tuesday? I’m anxious to find a place.”
“That would be great.”
“Are they flirting again, Aunt Angela?” Annie’s voice rose above the clamor of the departing crowds.
“I think they are,” Angela said. “Better get used to it.”
“I don’t really mind.” Annie smiled at her mother and Jack. “I think it’s kind of cute.”
JACK COULD TELL the minute he and Tanya walked into the first property on his list Tuesday morning that she hated it. “I know it’s kind of small,” he said. “And it could use some fixing up. But I could help you with that…”
“There are no windows,” she said, looking around the cramped dark space.
“Yeah, well, it is a basement apartment.”
“I can’t imagine living in the mountains and not being able to see them,” she said.
“That’s probably why the owner wasn’t having much luck listing it as a vacation rental.”
“What else do you have on your list?” she asked.
He consulted the list his secretary had compiled for him. “There’s a really nice house I built up toward Kebler Pass. The owner wants to sublet it for a year while his family is in Europe.”
“A house? That sounds promising.”
“It’s a gorgeous place,” Jack said. “Three bedrooms and a spectacular view off the deck.”
Some of her joy at the prospect of a house dimmed. “How much is the rent?”
“Let me see.” He checked the list and his spirits sank. “It says here he wants three thousand dollars a month, but I might be able to talk him down…”
“You’d never talk him down into my price range.” She turned and walked out into the hall.
Jack followed. “There are other places on my list,” he said. “Don’t give up yet.”
She nodded, but said nothing all the way to the car. “This next rental is downtown,” he said. “On Second Street.”
The little blue-and-white house had once been a miner’s cottage. It had been fully restored and housed a boutique on the main floor. “The top floor was leased to a lawyer, but he relocated, and the owner is willing to consider renting it a
s a residence,” Jack explained. “She contacted me about doing some remodeling to make it more suitable—adding a shower to the bathroom and expanding the kitchen.”
“It’s much nicer than the last place,” Tanya said.
“And the rent is within your budget,” he said.
“I don’t know about living over a store,” she said. “There’d always be noise and other people around.”
“Not in early mornings or late at night,” he said.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, but he could tell she was disappointed.
The last place he had to show her was farther out in the country, a little log cabin on a ranch. Jack had replaced the roof on the building this past spring, and the owner had mentioned wanting to find someone to rent it. On the drive out, Jack strove to fill the silence Tanya had settled into. “What kind of place did you have in Los Angeles?” he asked.
“When I first moved out there I shared a one-bedroom apartment with two other actresses.” She laughed. “We took turns sleeping on the sofa and pretty much the only food we had was what we brought home from our various waitressing jobs. But we were young and we were in Hollywood, so we didn’t care.”
“What about after you married? Where did you and Stuart live?” His stomach clenched at the thought of her living with another man, but curiosity won over jealousy.
“We had an apartment in a newer development near Hollywood,” she answered. “It had a pool and a rec room and fancy architecture, but the apartments themselves were plain and cheaply made and overpriced.” She wrinkled her nose. “Stuart bought into the whole sales pitch that the place was exclusive. He said living there gave us ‘cachet.’”
“You didn’t like it there?” Jack guessed.
“It was a pretentious place full of pretentious people,” she said. “For the same money, we could have had a nice house in the suburbs that had parks and other families with children Annie could play with.”
“I’m guessing Stuart didn’t go for the house in the suburbs?”
“They might as well have been Siberia to Stuart. His whole life revolved around seeing and being seen. He made friends with the right people, ate at the hottest restaurants and knew every columnist for all the trade journals and the L.A. papers. He used to say we were in a business based on appearances and it was important to live as if you were successful even when things weren’t going well, because nobody hired a loser.”
