Saving Shelby

by Nicole Taylor Eby

  One mistake didn’t mean he had to spend the rest of his life on the edge of fun—even if his mistake had had catastrophic consequences.

  Hell, he hadn’t even been drinking on that day. It had just been all the days after...

  “Are you sure you don’t want a sip? It’s really hitting the spot after this day we’ve had,” Spencer said, waggling the bottle at Ian.

  That’s true.

  These clients had given them a run for their money. The entire day had felt like they were herding cats. In all his years of guiding, he had never had clients overturn a canoe on a lake. In a river, yes, but on a smooth lake? Never! Luckily, all the gear had been in the guide canoe with Spencer and himself. It was going to be a long trip and being a stick in the mud wasn’t going to make it go any faster.

  “Okay, but just this one,” he said with a sigh, taking the proffered beer, as he sank down beside his buddy.

  Truth was, he needed this beer. And it wasn’t just the stress of having to keep his eye on ten wild college grads. It was a set of lake-blue eyes and hair the colour of a rippling wheat field that were making it hard for him to stay focused on his job. It didn’t seem to matter how busy he was, he just couldn’t seem to get Shelby out of his mind.

  Ian had tried to chalk his distraction up to feelings of guilt for leaving her there on the lawn with her ex-husband, but the truth was, he had felt something the instant he had laid eyes on her, when she had entered that elementary school lobby, her face flushed and sweating.

  He had recognized that feeling instantly. It was the same thing that had hit him when he had first seen Natalie—a stark reminder that he didn’t need a relationship. These feelings were dangerous, but he couldn’t seem to get Shelby out of his mind. A fact that should have him running for the hills—which, in a way, was exactly what he was doing with this job.

  After he had left her with Blake, Ian had spent the rest of the day debating about whether or not he should call her and check on her. Something inside him had made him feel duty-bound to make sure she was okay, which was ridiculous because he had no claim on her. She certainly hadn’t wanted him to stay. Shelby had straight up told him to leave.

  He had considered ignoring her words, but he had too much respect for her. If she said she didn’t need help, then he wasn’t going to go barrelling in to rescue her.

  And yet, he had still wanted to do just that. He had wanted to save her. Hell, he still did, and it had him feeling unsettled.

  Normally, he was decisive—he knew exactly what he wanted to do in any given situation, and he went for it. Not this time. This time, he had been frozen with indecision. In the end, it had been with relief that he had taken the call from Jade, asking him for help with this excursion.

  These college guys had called to book an excursion to Della Falls at the last minute, and Jade hadn’t been in a position to turn them down—not since she had financed the new building at the school’s main site.

  And he hadn’t been in a position to turn Jade down—not when he owed her everything.

  He hadn’t hesitated to take the job, even though it meant he would have very little down time before his next gig—basically one evening. He hadn’t thought about the implications of going back to Della Falls. All he had focused on was the fact that he would have somewhere to direct his energy besides agonizing over Shelby.

  It had turned out to be the perfect solution in the short term, because between organizing the food and gear for the trip and convincing Spencer to be the second guide, Ian hadn’t had time to think about Shelby, much less reach out to her. Which was for the best.

  In the long term, the plan wasn’t working out like he had hoped. Shelby was on his mind constantly, and he still felt compelled to check in on her. Except now, without cell service, he was helpless to do anything—which was driving him crazy.

  Ian took another deep sip of the beer before he handed it back to Spencer. Spencer was right; it tasted delicious and was exactly what he needed at the end of a hard day.

  Spencer drained the last drops of the beer, held the bottle up as if inspecting it, then looked at Ian. “I know this must be killing you. I’m here for you.”

  Spencer’s words were quiet, barely more than a whisper, but they hit Ian like daggers. His throat was tight, and if he wasn’t careful, a few tears might sneak out. He would have to watch himself. He was in a more precarious state than he had thought.

  “I’m good.” His voice cracked as he said it, but he realized it wasn’t a complete lie. He still had healing to do, but he could face Della Falls and her ghosts. At least he could, if he could forget about Shelby long enough.

  “Offer stands.”

  Ian nodded at his buddy. “Thanks, man.” It was a good feeling to know you had people at your back.

  Rising to his feet, Spencer held up the empty bottle. “I don’t know about you, but that just whet my appetite. When we get home from this trip, whether it’s unscathed or not, you and I are going out drinking. And I’m not taking no for an answer. It’s been too long.”

  Ian didn’t answer, as he watched Spencer head down to the edge of the lake to wash the beer bottle out. The last thing they needed was a hungry bear smelling the beer and coming for a taste in the middle of the night.

  He knew his friend was right. He couldn’t keep punishing himself for what happened. Natalie might never forgive him, but that was something he would just have to carry with him. It didn’t mean he had to give it power over him. He could forgive himself. He still had his life to live, and he couldn’t do that wallowing in what-ifs.

  If his encounter with Shelby had taught him anything, it was that his libido wasn’t dead. It was, in fact, very much alive. He might just need to dunk himself under the frigid waters of Della Falls to cool it off, so he could think clearly about what his next move would be.

  CHAPTER 9

  Shelby sagged against the brick wall of a downtown building. She had just escaped her first blind date, and it had been a disaster—a disaster of her own making. If she was being completely honest, she hadn’t given the guy a chance, because he wasn’t Ian; a little part of her might even have been hoping that by some twist of fate, Ginny had set her up with Ian.

  She knew it was stupid. Ginny didn’t even know Ian’s name, but she was stupid about everything related to Ian.

  Shelby sucked in deep breaths of air, trying to calm the panic rearing up inside her. With shaking hands, she pulled out her phone and dialled Ginny. The whole evening had been off from the start. She should have known it wasn’t going to go well when she had basically begged for reassurance about how she looked from her teenaged babysitter.

  She never should have let Ginny set her up on a blind date. She wasn’t ready for that kind of thing.

  “That bad, huh?” Ginny said, when she finally answered.

  A burst of strangled laughter escaped Shelby. “How’d you know?”

  “You wouldn’t be calling me if it was going well. Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Yes, I’m fine,” Shelby croaked, as the butterflies pushed up from her stomach and choked her.

  “You don’t sound fine.”

  Shelby blew out a hard breath. “Okay, I’m not fine. I’m having a bit of a panic attack.”

  “What happened? Bill’s so sweet.”

  A sound escaped unbidden from Shelby—a kind of a half moan and half laugh of frustration. “He is sweet and considerate. Something just wasn’t right. I’m such an idiot.”

  “Ha! You mean he wasn’t the mysterious survival instructor you’ve been lusting after ever since you heard him talk about campfires and how to poop in the woods.”

  “Ginny! You’re crazy. I never said anything like that.”

  “You didn’t have to. I can read between the lines. Keep in mind, I’ve been watching women get wet just by watching my bushman brother and his buddies walk into the room since we were all in high school. You’ve got a bad case of nature-man-itis. And there is only one cure for that.
Where are you?”

  “Downtown.”

  “Stay put. I’m coming to get you. We aren’t wasting that sitter.”

  Thirty minutes later, a Bluebird cab pulled up to the curb, and Ginny burst out. She was dressed in high-waisted charcoal pants with thin black stripes hugging her curves, a flowing magenta blouse with a plunging neckline, and black, strappy shoes with spiked heels. She looked ready to take on a night of partying.

  “Alright, what you need is some dancing,” Ginny enthused.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t been to a club in a really long time,” Shelby said, hesitantly. “I’m kinda tired.” What she needed was to go home and get her head screwed on straight. She didn’t need to get dragged under by another man. This thing with Ian was just her libido reminding her it was there and feeling neglected.

  “All the more reason to go. My brother and some of his buddies are at the Strath. It’ll be a blast.” Ginny looped her arm through Shelby’s and started to propel her towards the corner, like it was a done deal.

  Shelby pulled her arm free. “Hold on. I thought it would be just you and me. No men.”

  “When did I ever say that?” Ginny’s eyes gleamed, as she looped her arm through Shelby’s again and pulled her towards the street. “It’s just my brother and his backwoods buddies, nothing to stress about. They’ll be good for a few dances and a few free drinks. They’ve got wandering eyes, so you won’t have to worry about them trying to pin you down.”

  Shelby let Ginny drag her along. It was hard not to get caught up in Ginny’s exuberance, even if dancing with a pack of womanizing men wasn’t really what she needed right now. Of course, truth be told, she didn’t know what it was she needed.

  Ginny kept up a lively chatter the entire way up to Blanshard Street. By the time they were standing outside the Strathcona Hotel, better known to locals as the Strath, she started to relax and think maybe she might be up for a little dancing.

  The Strath dated back to the Gold Rush, and as Shelby stepped into the Sticky Wicket Pub located on the first floor of the old hotel, she was immediately entranced by the carved wooden walls and gleaming brass along the dark-stained wooden bar. Just as she adored character homes, she loved the charm of the old pubs, and the Sticky Wicket had it in spades.

  The place was crowded with the overflow from the nightclub housed at the back corner of the pub. She held tight to Ginny’s hand as they wove their way through the crowd.

  “Spence!” Ginny waved her hand wildly. When he didn’t hear her, she sidled up beside him and slid her arm around his waist.

  Spencer White was tall and had the same work-honed muscles that had been haunting Shelby’s dreams in the form of Ian McLean. His dark hair, cut close on the sides, gave way to a flourish of curls on the top. Shelby could see why Ginny’s girlhood friends had gone crazy for her older brother.

  “Hmm, I guess a hug from my little sister is better than nothing.” Spencer’s eyes sparkled. “And who’s this?” He looked Shelby up and down with a grin.

  Ginny pushed Spencer away from her. “Behave yourself. This is Shelby, and I mean for her to have a good time without any of your shenanigans.”

  “What? Shenanigans? Me?” Spencer tried to look angelic but couldn’t quite stifle his grin.

  “Yes. You.” Ginny pointed a finger at Spencer’s chest.

  Shelby laughed at the siblings’ antics, but she couldn’t help feeling a small stab of jealousy. She couldn’t even imagine being able to banter with her sister like that. Meghan shared their mother’s opinion that Shelby should fix her life by running back to Blake, and that was as far as their connection went.

  Spencer twisted away from Ginny’s finger, winked at Shelby, and then slipped onto the dance floor right into the centre of a group of tipsy, young women. He held his beer high over their heads and grinded against each one in turn.

  Laughing, Ginny grabbed Shelby’s hand and pulled her towards the bar. “Don’t mind Spencer, he’s harmless—mostly.”

  “You two seem close,” Shelby said, leaning in so Ginny could hear her over the noise of the crowded bar.

  Ginny shrugged. “Sometimes. When it suits him.”

  Turning away, Ginny sidled up to the bar and ordered two Mike’s Hard Cranberry Lemonades and two tequila shots. Shelby tried to protest as Ginny handed her the saltshaker and a piece of lime, but Ginny wasn’t having it.

  “Come on, Shelby, we’ve gotta loosen you up a little. Help you forget Bill, or should I say mysterious survival instructor?”

  Laughing, Shelby caved, grimacing as the tequila hit her taste buds. She sucked hard on the lime to kill the taste. “I don’t miss this stuff.”

  Ginny handed Shelby her Mike’s and then grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the dance floor. “Come on let’s dance.”

  Pulling back, Shelby protested. “I can’t dance, Ginny. And I’m not dressed for it.” She indicated the dark-wash skinny jeans and long, knitted sweater she had chosen to wear for her blind date, because it gave the illusion that she had more curves than she actually did. “It’s so hot in here already.”

  “Don’t be silly. I promised to fix your night, and I intend to do just that. You’re just going to have to get a little sweaty. Come on.” With her drink raised in the air, Ginny gyrated to the music, as she led Shelby deeper onto the dance floor.

  Unable to resist Ginny’s spirit, Shelby followed without further protest, trying to mimic Ginny’s movements. But the tequila wasn’t doing its job yet, and it had been a really long time since she had been at a nightclub.

  When Ian saw Shelby on the dance floor gyrating to the music, the room seemed to stand still for a breath. He watched her, captivated by her swaying hips. Then the loud, pounding music came rushing back in, and everything started moving again—fast and intense. Without making a conscious choice, he found himself moving towards her, like he was being pulled by a magnetic field—unable to resist.

  After he had spent the past week obsessing about her, and how he had been an ass to leave her on her front lawn doing battle with her ex—no matter that she had told him to leave—her being at the bar had to be some kind of a sign. Tromping around Strathcona Park with Spencer and a bunch of college grads had done nothing to distract him. If anything, his inability to contact her had only made his desire to reconnect with her that much stronger.

  His body began to buzz with pleasure, as he neared her. Lost in her own movements, she hadn’t spotted him. He hesitated. With her head thrown back, and a small smile on her face, she looked to be engulfed in her own private rapture, and he didn’t want to interrupt. He should back away, leave her to her bliss. She couldn’t possibly want to see him—not after he had left her to fend for herself with Blake.

  Unbidden, his hips began to sway with hers, picking up her rhythm, as her magnetism pulled him into her dance. He knew there could be consequences for being here, but as his body completely relaxed into the movements of the dance, he couldn’t remember what they might be.

  Ian pushed away the warning bells going off in his head, as he slipped in behind her. Everything was fine. This was just fun. Shelby wasn’t looking for a relationship any more than he was. They could have a good night, revelling in the sparks that flew between them whenever their bodies got close.

  It was just a dance.

  Taking a couple of sips of her drink to try and loosen herself up, Shelby closed her eyes briefly and tried to lose herself in the beat of the music. As she took another sip, a man slipped between her and Ginny and began to grind with Ginny. Ginny smiled invitingly at him and swivelled her hips in rhythm with his.

  Laughing at Ginny’s antics, Shelby let herself drift away from her friend. She oscillated to the music, feeling awkward as she let her eyes drift around the dance floor, trying to copy the moves of the women around her. Slowly, she became aware of a warmth spreading through her body that wasn’t just the heat from the crowded dance floor.

  Someone was behind her, moving in sync with her. Shelby
slowly pivoted around. Her heart sped up and her mind froze.

  It was Ian.

  She was vaguely aware that Ginny had moved closer and was saying something—something about her brother’s friends—but she couldn’t make it out over the music and the roaring in her ears. She didn’t know what to do. She had spent so much time convincing herself she would never see him again, but not a single second thinking about what she would do if she did—and now here he was in front of her in flesh and blood.

  Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and the tequila wasn't helping. Ian stepped towards her. A strong instinct to run fought with an equally strong desire to reach out and pull him close against her. All around her people were dancing, but she remained frozen to the spot.

  This was her chance to make a second impression.

  The music kept pounding around her and slowly her body started to respond. Her hips began to swivel, twist, and gyrate to the beat. He matched her movements, his lips curled in his half smile. He was close—closer than he needed to be, and it was making it hard to breathe.

  Too soon, the song ended. As the last notes played, Shelby knew that Ian would fade into the crowd. “Do you—” She stopped, losing her courage.

  Ian’s mouth quirked up at the corners, like he knew what she was going to ask.

  “Never mind.” Her face blazed red.

  Shelby turned to go, but his hand slid into hers, and he gently drew her towards him. As the beat slowed, he pulled her even closer, wrapping his other hand around her waist. A ripple of desire shot through her as her breasts brushed against his chest.

  She melted against him.

  Over Ian’s shoulder, Shelby caught sight of Ginny watching them speculatively. She dropped her face into Ian’s shoulder to avoid eye contact with her friend. She would have to explain it all later, but for now, she just wanted to lose herself in the music and Ian.