by Amanda Renee
It’s just dinner. With a friend. On a Saturday night.
Delta arrived at the Iron Horse Bar & Grill ten minutes before six and parked her red hardtop Jeep Wrangler near the entrance. It was still a bit too early for the evening crowd and she figured she’d be able to get them a table near the bar so they wouldn’t risk being stuck in a dark, cozy corner booth. Probably a booth he had shared with Rebecca when they were younger. Knowing Garrett’s history with the place, she was surprised when he had suggested it. Then again, maybe that was why he had. It was someplace old and familiar, a place guaranteed to remind him of what he’d had and lost.
She walked in the door and was immediately hit in the chest by Cupid’s arrow. Seriously? She stared at the foam arrow lying on the floor.
A rather attractive twentysomething cowboy with piercing blue eyes knelt before her. Her breath caught in her throat until he opened his mouth. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. My aim is way off tonight.” Then he retrieved the arrow and joined the rest of his pretty twentysomething friends.
Ma’am? You’ve got to be kidding me. The one place she thought had escaped the Valentine fervor had transformed their game area into Cupid’s lair. The pitch penny bench was covered in red leather. Giant diapered cherub butts covered the dartboards that people shot foam and Velcro arrows at and the Cornhole platforms had been painted red and had baskets of red and white beanbags next to them. At least they had left the billiard tables untouched.
She sighed and turned to find a table when she saw Garrett waving to her. So much for her arriving first. He wasn’t quite in the dark corner she had feared, but it was the next booth over. Booths were intimate. Especially at the Iron Horse. It was where you brought your date after a movie or before a night of dancing. It wasn’t a hey-let’s-talk-about-horseshoes type of table.
Garrett stood and removed his hat as she approached. “You look nice tonight,” he said as she slid into her side of the booth. “I hope this is okay?”
“Thank you and it’s perfect.” She couldn’t help admiring the snug cut of his jeans and the way they hugged every single curve of his body. And the man had curves. He didn’t have those straight, spindly legs that some men had. He had very defined muscular thighs with...bulges. Garrett Slade had nice bulges. “You look nice, too.”
And he did once he sat down and his bulges were out of her direct line of sight. He had on a fawn-colored flannel shirt that made her want to snuggle against it. She could just imagine what it would feel like to be enveloped in his arms with her face pressed against his chest.
Shirt. Her face pressed against his shirt.
Nope. That didn’t work either. She didn’t need to be pressing any of her parts against any of his. If he hadn’t cleaned up so well, these thoughts wouldn’t be invading her brain. And it wasn’t as if she’d ever seen Garrett get really dirty. The man changed her truck tire and barely got anything on him. He was rugged. He had an air of I’m-ready-to-get-dirty-at-any-moment quality about him, but there was always a flicker of something mischievous behind his dark eyes.
“I ordered us two chipotle whiskeys and a couple of beers. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh no, definitely don’t mind.” A drink couldn’t come fast enough. “What’s with the Valentine’s Day onslaught when you walk in the door?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” He leaned closer so she could hear him over the music, bringing with him a heady scent of woodsy aftershave. Lord help me he smells good. “It’s bad enough I have to deal with this stuff at the ranch.”
“The ranch does Valentine’s Day? I don’t remember that last year.”
“It’s all Emma’s fault. Her wedding planning with Dylan is turning everything into one big Silver Bells lovefest.”
Delta tried not to laugh but the way he said lovefest looked like he’d swallowed a pinch of chewing tobacco.
“I’m serious.” He leaned back as the waitress set their drinks on the table between them. “We have a week-long Valentine’s couples-only retreat coming up and it’s making everyone in an amorous mood up at the lodge. Thank God my job is in the stables. I don’t even go up there for breakfast anymore. Considering half our employees are married to each other, everyone is hand holding or sneaking in a kiss here and there. We’re running a business, not a lover’s playground.”
“Remind me not to step foot in there until that’s over with.” She raised her whiskey glass. “Here’s to avoiding Valentine’s Day.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Garrett clinked her glass.
Waylon Jennings’ “Good Hearted Woman” played on the jukebox and Delta found herself itching to get on the dance floor. If it had been any other place with any other man, she would have. She looked up at Garrett, fully expecting him to be lost in his memories of what once was. Instead, his eyes met hers and he smiled.
“You want to dance, don’t you?”
“No, I’m good.” The truth was, she had been wiped out most of the day. Work had been a struggle, but somewhere around four o’clock, she found her second wind. “Kicking back with good company and good food is about all I can handle tonight.”
“Long day?”
“Busy. Many small jobs all over the county. What about you? How are renovations going?”
“I wish I had more to do with them.” Garrett flipped open his menu. “Dylan’s acting general contractor and I’m maintaining status quo in the stables. Thanks to Belle’s help, I’ve managed to barter some construction services in exchange for riding lessons and a few free stays at the ranch once the cabins are finished.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“It’s managing to save us more than I had expected, but that’s been the extent of my involvement. My brother runs all the ideas past me and we decide on them together, but I always get the feeling he thinks I’ll break if he gives me too much work to do. I want to do more. Our staff is thin, but it’s also winter. I can easily appoint someone to manage the stables while I work with Dylan. But he won’t give.”
“Working with family can be tough.” Delta sipped at her whiskey. “When I worked for my dad, I never thought I’d make it out of apprentice mode. Even after I had become a journeyman, I still felt like I was apprenticing under him.”
“It dawned on me the other day who your father is. I hadn’t put two and two together before. Luther Lloyd Grace is a legend. He’s a master blacksmith, too, isn’t he?”
“Don’t ever let him hear you call him by his real name. Luther Lloyd makes him cringe. You be sure to call him Buck. And yes, he is a master blacksmith. You know the man, you know the legend that is the man, and how could I complain about working under someone with his world-renowned expertise? It’s also a hell of a lot to live up to when you’re the only kid who followed in his footsteps.”
After four generations of Grace farriers, she was also where the legend ended, since she couldn’t have kids of her own. One of her brothers worked for the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department and the other was a Montana Travler horse breeder. Even if they had kids of their own and they chose to become farriers, it would have skipped a generation.
Her father and grandfather had been so proud to pass the torch, and then her body betrayed her by single-handedly snuffing it out. Her father would never admit to his disappointment, but she knew it was there. A few months ago, she’d overheard him trying to convince Trevor to stop breeding horses and apprentice under him. He hadn’t given any reasons. He hadn’t had to. But she knew. They all knew.
“Can I offer you a piece of advice?” she asked.
“Sure.” Garrett sipped at his whiskey. “This stuff is pretty good once you get used to it.”
“I’m glad to see that lesson stuck with you.”
He leaned forward on the table and smiled a slow easy grin that caused her heart to skip a beat. “Give me your advice.”
Delta rolled he
r shoulders. She didn’t know if it was the man or the heat of the whiskey that made her feel deliciously warm. “Be honest with your brother. If you want more, tell him. He may think he’s doing you a favor. Once I told my dad I wanted my own business, he supported me. And when Henry called and told him about Saddle Ridge, he practically pushed me out the door. You might be surprised at his reaction.”
“You know what, I will do just that. Tomorrow. Tonight is about friendship.”
He raised his pint of Guinness.
“To friendship.” She clinked her glass against his.
“And ice skating.”
“And what now?” Delta froze before the dark liquid touched her lips. “I am not drinking to that.”
“Why not?” Garrett frowned. “The rink is a few blocks down and I thought we could pop over there after dinner.”
“The only popping would be my butt bouncing across the ice. I do not skate. I’ve tried it and I’m not good at it. And no amount of lessons will help me either. I’ve already gone down that slippery path.”
“I didn’t think there was anything Delta Grace couldn’t do.”
“Yeah, well. We all have our limitations.”
* * *
“HOLD ON TO my hands.” Delta hadn’t been kidding when she’d said she couldn’t skate. The woman could barely stand. “I’ve got you.”
“I cannot believe you talked me into this.” Her eyes narrowed at him. “This is not my idea of a good time. What if we fall through?”
“Then you’ll be standing in an inch of water.” He skated backwards, pulling her with him. “We’re skating on a parking lot. It freezes quickly when the temps drop. I promise you won’t fall through the ice and drown.”
“Oh, you’re funny.”
“Where’s that confidence I know you have?” Garrett enjoyed challenging Delta. She was a little bit of a bad girl mixed with a little bit of sweet. Once he cracked through her hard exterior, he enjoyed getting to know her softer side.
“If I fall—”
“I’ll catch you.”
“Forget that. I don’t want you to catch me. If I fall, you owe me ten more dinners.”
“Such a hardship. I don’t know if I can handle that.”
“Daddy!” a tiny voice called from behind him. “Look, Belle. It’s Daddy and Delta.”
He dropped Delta’s hands when he turned to see Kacey skating toward them.
“What the—erm—Ow.”
“Delta!” Kacey skidded to a stop beside Delta sitting on the ice. “Daddy, why did you let go of her?”
“Yeah, Garrett?” Delta snarled. “Why did you let go of me.”
“I—I...give me your hand.” He reached for her, but she refused to budge. He hadn’t meant to drop her. Kacey startled him and he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. He didn’t think Delta would fall that fast. Or that hard. “I’m sorry, really I am.”
“Go away.” She swatted at him.
“Lean on me, Delta. I’ll help you,” Kacey said.
“No, honey, if I fall again—and I’m sure I will—I don’t want to crush you. I am not a skater.”
“Sure you are.” Belle’s arms slid under hers from behind and within seconds, Delta was standing on her feet. “What do you say, Kacey? How about we teach her how the Slade girls skate. Come on, Ivy.”
“Yeah!” Kacey grabbed hold of one hand and Belle the other and off they went gliding over the ice at warp speed while Ivy skated in front of the team cheering them on.
“I bet you five this doesn’t end well.” Harlan held out a gloved hand.
“Nah, I think she’ll get it. She just needed the right teacher. She wasn’t born on the ice like our kids.” Bryce skated around them.
“First dinner last night at my house, and then tonight we find you out here together. Balk all you want, but whatever is going on between you two looks like a relationship to me.”
Leave it to the deputy sheriff to dig for information. Hey, at least if he and Belle suspected they were dating, they’d lay off the matchmaking.
“We went out to dinner and then I talked her into coming here.”
“Slow down,” Delta cried as they flew by. “You’re going too fast.”
“Open your eyes and move your feet,” Kacey ordered. “It’s the only way you’re going to learn.”
The men started to laugh. “You can see how well that worked out for me.”
“You’re skating, Delta,” Ivy shouted.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Garrett said. “She is skating.” With Belle’s and Kacey’s help. But she was skating nonetheless.
“Daddy, look at Delta.” The women slowed to a stop in front of Harlan, Bryce and Garrett.
“See, we knew you could do it.” Belle nudged Delta’s arm. “All it took was a Slade to open your eyes.”
There was no hiding the double meaning of that statement. But it had also been a Slade who allowed her to fall because he didn’t want to risk his daughter seeing them together. Delta’s reaction afterward told him there was no hiding that meaning either.
“You’re a better teacher than I am, sweetie.” Garrett flicked the pompom on his daughter’s hat.
“Ain’t that the truth.” Delta stuck out her tongue at him, making the girls giggle.
“Daddy, do you think you can manage to skate with Delta again, and not let her fall? Or do I have to supervise?”
“Oh, snap!” Delta laughed. “She told you.”
“I guess she did.” If Kacey didn’t have a problem with them skating together, then why should he? He bowed before Delta and extended his hand. “May I have this skate?”
“Do you promise not to let go?”
Kacey joined their hands together. “He promises.”
“I promise. I won’t let go.” And he didn’t for the rest of their time on the ice. Belle and Harlan had left long before they did. The hour had gotten away from Garrett, and when they stepped off the ice when the rink shut off the lights for the night, Garrett found himself fighting the urge to kiss Delta good-night as they walked back to where they had parked.
“I guess I owe you ten more dinners.”
“I guess you do.” Delta opened her truck door. “Thanks again for tonight,” she said before climbing in.
“It was my pleasure. Drive safe.” He patted the hood of her Jeep as she backed out of the space. He stood on the curb and watched her taillights disappear into the night. Tonight had been more fun than he had anticipated. And much lonelier than he could have ever imagined. There was no one waiting for him at home. No wife, no kids. Just emptiness. And in that moment, he wished he hadn’t let Delta drive away.
Chapter Seven
Delta awoke Sunday morning to a head on her shoulder and a hot breath against her cheek. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It wasn’t even six in the morning and she didn’t have anywhere to be. Days like these were a rare treat. Normally she had jobs lined up, or if she had gone to visit her parents, she would be driving home. Today her schedule was clear and it was hers to do as she pleased.
The body next to her shifted and yawned, followed by a long lazy stretch and a paw to the face. “Easy with the right hook there, bud.” Jake’s breathing deepened until it became a steady snore. “And Belle thinks I need a man to share my life with. I don’t need a man. I have Jake.” Between his gas and snoring, he was as close to a man as she wanted to get.
Delta smiled, remembering last night with Garrett. It had been completely unexpected and more fun than she thought it would be. At the end of the night, she had thought he was about to kiss her. He didn’t, and she still wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that.
She sat up in bed and looked around the room, realizing she didn’t know how to start her day without an alarm clock ringing in her ear. She should be enjoying her day off and sleepi
ng in, but her body betrayed her. Swinging her legs over the side, Delta groaned as she stood. Between the muscle aches and stiff joints, she felt a hundred years old. Who knew ice skating for hours would hurt so much the next day?
She padded downstairs and filled the coffee carafe with water. Her parents had given her one of those single-serve coffeemakers for Christmas, but it was still sitting in the box on top of her dryer in the laundry room. She was a creature of habit and her habit was making a thermos of coffee every morning and taking it with her. But, she wasn’t going anywhere and she certainly didn’t need a thermos of caffeine to do nothing.
“What the heck.” She walked into the laundry room, picked up the box and sat it on the kitchen table. Today was a good day to change things up.
An hour later, Delta was on caffeine overload. It was her mother’s fault. She had included six different kinds of coffee with the gift and Delta had to try them all. After she showered and dressed, it was still only seven thirty in the morning.
“What do people do with all their free time?” She didn’t exactly have any hobbies. There was guitar, but sitting around the house didn’t appeal to her today. It was too early to call Liv or Maddie. Even the convalescent home frowned on visitors until after nine o’clock. And it was too cold to go for a hike. “What are we going to do, Jake?”
She stared at her phone, willing a customer to call...willing Garrett to call. And that wasn’t right. He didn’t need to call her. He had no business calling her. Unless of course, it was for business. Try as she might, she couldn’t get him off her mind. It didn’t help that he had held her hand while they skated. She hadn’t had that kind of intimate contact with anyone since her husband and she missed it, but she certainly didn’t miss him.
The man she had spent most of her life loving couldn’t handle what the chemotherapy had done to her body. It hadn’t just been the hair loss or the constant sickness. It had been the harsh reality that she may not survive. And even if she did, knowing they’d never conceive a child together had driven a huge wedge between them. The turmoil they had experienced was common. Many marriages went through it. There were support groups, but Eddie had refused to attend a single meeting. Regardless of how strong their love had been, it hadn’t been strong enough.
