It was time for them to be honest with each other.
He should’ve told her he loved her.
Maybe that would’ve kept her here. Allowed her to open up to him. To share whatever it was that had her scared.
He thought back to the few times she’d shared bits and pieces about her past.
She’d warned him she held things deep inside. That being an artist went hand in hand with being an introvert and it took a long time for her to let people in. That the loss of her mother while still a teenager, a distant father and being cheated on by her ex-boyfriend had taught her to rely on herself.
She needed to know she could rely on him, as well.
His first stop was the cabin. Jonah’s truck rounded the corner, disappointed that hers wasn’t here. Where else could she be?
Pulling into the spot where he usually parked, he started to turn around, but something about the front door caught his eye. He put his truck in Park and hopped out, the engine still running.
The door was open.
He went inside, calling for her even though he knew she wasn’t there. Had she come here after leaving the resort?
He looked around. Everything seemed okay. Taking out his phone, he called her again, but again he got nothing. Not even her voice mail. Determined to keep looking, he started back for the door when something on the leather couch caught his eye.
A piece of paper. Maybe she left him an explanation. He grabbed it. His name was written over and over, but it wasn’t a note. Instead he saw a series of checkmarks some with Jonah’s name scrawled next to them.
What the hell was this?
He went back to the top, noting the crease lines that showed how often the paper had been folded and refolded.
A bucket list? Vanessa’s? And who was Adele?
There were quite a few things listed, the majority of them having been checked off, but he focused on the ones where his name was written.
Fly among the clouds (and not in an airplane!).
Learn to ride a horse.
Kiss a cowboy.
Learn how to line dance.
Dance in the rain.
Take a bubble bath...with a man.
All the crazy and wonderful things he and Vanessa had done together over the past few weeks.
What did this mean? Had she been using him? And why was she suddenly checking off each item she could find? What was the big rush? Vanessa was still a young woman.
The questions whirled around inside his head. Then he saw the small notation written at the bottom of the page and his blood ran cold.
List updated September 23, 2013. Carrollton Cancer Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA.
No. That couldn’t be. Vanessa wasn’t—
Jonah shoved the list into his jacket pocket, refusing to let his mind go there. He went back outside and got in his truck, then spotted Eli coming over the hill on horseback.
He waved his brother down and the two met in the middle of the road.
“If you’re looking for your lady love, she’s been here and gone.”
Was that good news or bad? “You saw Vanessa? Did you talk to her?”
Eli shook his head. “I watched her drive up from the far hill. After she got out of her truck, she paced back and forth on the outside deck for a few minutes, waving her hands around.”
“Was she on the phone?”
“I don’t know. I was too far away, but like I said, her hands were flying, almost as if she were having an argument with herself.” Eli pushed up the brim on his Stetson. “I was just about to head down to see if she was okay when she went inside.”
“Did you see her leave again?”
“Yep. She came back out a few minutes later carrying a package or something. Then she took off, tires spinning and gravel flying,” Eli said. “What’s going on?”
“Hell if I know.” Jonah put his truck into gear. “If you see her again, call me. Scratch that. If you see her, stop her and keep her with you while you call me.”
His brother started to smile, then stopped when he saw how serious Jonah was. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know,” Jonah answered honestly, not wanting to believe the list he’d found meant she would do something crazy. “But I need to find her.”
He headed into town, stopping first at the community center but she wasn’t there. He drove by the beauty and doughnut shops, and then the wings place. Going up and down each street, he kept an eye out for her truck, even stopped by the clinic to ask Callie if Vanessa had been in to see her.
Nothing.
He didn’t see her truck outside of Crawford’s General Store, but he went inside, anyway. Trying not to get caught up in too many conversations, he figured by the number of people asking him about Vanessa, no one had seen her in here today.
Back outside, he thought for a moment about getting a hold of the sheriff. Was that really necessary? He didn’t have anything to go on except her crazy behavior and a bucket list—
“You look a bit lost, young man.”
Jonah spun around. “What did you say?”
“I said you looked lost.”
The old woman closed the distance between them, peering up at him with sharp, eagle-like eyes. “No, you’re not lost. Not anymore. But someone else is.”
“I’m sorry, have we met?”
She placed a wrinkled hand on his arm. “I’m Winona Cobbs.”
The psychic. Vanessa had told him about this old woman who’d come to town to give lectures and hand out free advice. She’d approached Vanessa about the mural and shared stories about the history of Montana, which Vanessa had used in her research.
He had no idea what real talents this old woman possessed, if any, but he had to ask. “I’m trying to find Vanessa Brent. The artist you spoke with about the mural she’s painting out at the resort. Have you seen her?”
The woman hugged her shawl closer to her chest. “No.”
Jonah waited. She didn’t say anything more, but her gaze never left his.
“I’m worried about her.” He tried again. “Can you help me find her?”
Her eyes narrowed for a moment, then closed. She pulled in a deep breath, slowly let it out and repeated the action two more times. “I see a white owl,” she finally said.
His shoulders slumped. This wasn’t going to work. Grabbing his keys, he headed for his truck. “Okay, thanks.”
“And a waterfall.”
That got his attention. He turned back. “A waterfall?”
“A white owl and a waterfall.”
If the psychic was right, Jonah knew exactly where Vanessa was.
But could he trust her? “Are you sure?” he asked.
“As sure as I am of you. The question is, are you?”
Jonah had no choice. He thanked the woman, who waved off his words as she continued on her way. Back in his truck, he headed out of town straight to Fall Mountain and the waterfall that gave Rust Creek Falls its name.
It had been years since he’d been out this way. So much had changed. He drove past a picnic area and direction signs to a lower falls viewing area he didn’t remember being here the last time.
No sign of Vanessa’s truck at either spot.
Continuing farther up the mountain, he reached the turn off to the trail that would lead him to Owl Rock, so named because the large white boulder with twin peaks at the top which resembled the woodland creature. It protruded out over the falls as if keeping watch over them.
Checking his phone as he made his way up the trail, Jonah wasn’t surprised to find service spotty at best. It didn’t really matter, since Vanessa hadn’t answered his previous attempts, but what if something happened and he needed to call for help?
Refusing to allow that th
ought to form, he was glad it was a clear and sunny afternoon. As he kept walking, the noise of the falling water led him to a clearing.
Then he saw her, standing by the rock and way too close to the waterfall for his comfort.
A glimmer of fear sprang to life inside him. What should he do? If he yelled to her, she could get startled, slip on the slippery rock and plummet to her death. If he did nothing, and she was up here for some crazy reason...
He did the only thing he could. He headed toward her as softly as he could and said her name.
* * *
Hearing Jonah’s voice didn’t surprise her.
She turned around, not bothering to hide her tears. What was the point? More would follow. “What are doing here, Jonah?”
“Do you really need me to answer that?” He came a few steps closer, his hands held wide at his sides. “You had to know I’d look for you.”
Yes, she did know that. And while she appreciated his cautious approach, she wasn’t about to do anything stupid.
On the contrary. What she had to do was probably the simplest, and yet the hardest thing that had ever been asked of her.
“You can relax, you know,” she said, walking toward him. “I’m okay.”
A raised eyebrow translated his skepticism, but he did drop his hands. “Yeah. Don’t get mad when I say I don’t believe you.”
Her lips twitched, as if they wanted to smile, but then Vanessa looked down again at the square, glittery red box she held cradled to her chest.
“Red was her favorite color,” she said instead as the tears returned. “Not crimson or burgundy or maroon. Nope, it had to be a candy-apple, fire-engine, the-brighter-the-better red.”
“Here.”
She blinked, bringing into focus the square cloth Jonah held in his hand. Looking up, she found him right in front of her now and a spurt of laughter somehow made it through the tightness of her throat. “Is that an actual hankie?”
He shrugged. “My mother raised me right.”
Vanessa took his offering and pressing the soft material to her face, breathed in Jonah’s familiar scent. Turning away, she wiped the wetness from her eyes, so thankful he was there.
That surprised her, although it shouldn’t have. She loved him. It seemed right that he should be there.
Why was she just realizing this now?
Maybe she could get through this after all. “Today is Adele’s twenty-sixth birthday...would’ve been. She was my best friend.”
It was so hard to talk about her in the past tense. That someone so alive and vibrant should no longer be there.
“Tell me about her,” Jonah murmured, the wary tension in his face easing.
“Adele Marguerite Dubront.” She pulled in a deep breath, and then released it. The shudder that accompanied it was a sign she was okay to talk now. “A big name, but she so lived up to it. From the moment we met as little girls, she was someone I admired. Wanted to emulate. My best friend, my partner in crime. My sister.”
Jonah stayed silent, but he moved closer, one hand warm and solid at her lower back.
“She was fearless, always the first one to try new things, say hello to people and then she’d listen intently to whatever they had to say.”
“Sounds a lot like you.”
This time her laugh had a harsh edge to it. “Oh, no. Maybe the person I’ve tried to be in the last few months, but before that...no, I was very much the stereotypical artist. Wrapped up in my own little world. Content with just my paints and canvases for company. But she wouldn’t let me stay there. No, she would dare me and entice me and drag me along on another of her crazy schemes.
“All of which made finding out about her childhood battle with cancer so hard to believe. Until it returned with a vengeance last year. She’d beaten it once before. We were so sure she could do it again. And she tried. Gave it her best, but then we had to accept—I had to accept that she was going to be taken from me far too soon.”
“Those are her ashes.”
Vanessa closed her eyes, and nodded, not surprised Jonah had figured out what was in the box she held so tightly. “Her mother left me a voice mail a few days ago. When I called her back she explained about a special request Adele had left in her will. Something she’d asked her mother to keep from me until after...”
Opening her eyes, she focused on the beautiful waterfall directly in front of her. “Well, until I’d had the chance to move on with my life. Until I started working on our list.”
“Your bucket list.”
She spun around, stumbled over her feet, but Jonah was there to catch her. His arms strong and secure. “How do you know about that?”
“I went to the cabin to find you and I found it—you left it on the couch. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help reading it.” His gaze held hers. “Especially once I saw my name. I didn’t understand what it was at first and when I read the name of the cancer center—”
“You thought it might’ve been me who was—”
“You’ve been acting so strange lately, I was afraid...” He brushed back some of her curls, tucking them behind one ear. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I know what carrying that kind of weight can do to a person. But you’ve helped me lift my burden. Why won’t you let me do the same for you?”
Could she? She wasn’t sure.
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but I feel guilty.” As hard as it was to do, Vanessa stepped out of his embrace and walked past him, farther into the clearing. “Meeting you...loving you—and yes, I do love you despite my best efforts to keep my distance—my feelings are so strong, Jonah. You make me happy. But why am I entitled to that when Adele never got that chance?”
“Because she would want it for you, Vanessa. You know she would, from what you’ve told me about her. You deserve to be happy, to be loved.” Jonah followed, stepped in front of her and framed her face in his hands. “I love you, Vanessa. I have from the very first time I saw you. There’s no excuse as to why it’s taken me until now to tell you that. I love you.”
Her soul soared at his words even as the fear that had invaded her heart remained.
“But you said... I tried so hard to keep things light and easy between us because I don’t think I can handle another goodbye. There’ve been too many of them in my life.”
“I’m not saying goodbye, Vanessa. Count on it.”
“And then today you talked about buying property in Rust Creek Falls, which sounds a lot like you’re planning to stick around.” Vanessa talked over the top of his protest. “But that’s scary, too. What if something happens to you this time?”
“Sweetheart, there are no guarantees in life. But there are promises, and I promise I am going to love you for as long as you’ll have me.” Jonah tightened his hold, his fingers pressing into her hair. “No, I’m going to love you for the rest of my life, no matter what comes our way. We’ll make Rust Creek Falls our home and keep my place in Denver. Hell, I’m going to take you to Hawaii so you can see a live volcano.”
Number twenty on her list.
Tears swarmed again, but this time they were ones of surprise and joy. “You’ll do that for me? Help me finish my list?”
“If there is anywhere you want to go—anything on your list you still want to do—count me in.”
She shook her head. “All I want, all I need is you. I think you’re right. That’s what my friend would want for me. For us. I love you, Jonah.”
She grabbed at his jacket with her free hand, lifted herself up on her toes and kissed him, pouring all her love and passion into this moment. His hands slid to her shoulder and then circled around to her back, pulling her close until—
“Oh, I...” Vanessa stepped back and held out the box. “I still need to honor Adele’s final wish. She wanted me to find the most beautiful, most
perfect place...”
Jonah covered her hands with his. “Let me help.”
They stood at the edge of the rock and held the box at an angle over the falls, allowing the down breeze to lift the ashes and carry them away.
Vanessa closed her eyes, offered a silent goodbye, thanking Adele for their years of friendship and for insisting she take their list to heart. If she’d never made that promise to take a chance Vanessa never would’ve found the love and happiness that filled her at this moment.
“You ready to head home now?”
Vanessa nodded, loving how wonderful those six simple words sounded.
She placed her hand in Jonah’s and as they walked back down the trail, she noticed a smudge of something dark on his cheek.
Dirt, perhaps?
No, she knew exactly what it was—her friend’s stamp of approval. Instead of brushing it away, she peeked back over her shoulder and sent a quick wink to the heavens.
* * *
Vanessa studied the costume that hung on the back of the bathroom door.
She was supposed to be Pocahontas for Halloween. An idea she’d come up with to go along with Jonah’s cowboy costume (men had it so easy!) when he’d reminded her just this morning they needed to be dressed up for the Halloween party at Callie and Nate’s tonight.
Considering how quickly she’d pulled this outfit together, thanks to finding faux-suede fabric and a blue beaded necklace during a quick shopping trip to Kalispell, the costume had come together nicely except for her wayward curls.
She’d planned to straighten her hair now that her makeup was done, including the tribal tattoo wrapped around her right biceps, but putting the dress together had taken up most of the afternoon and Jonah was set to pick her up at any moment.
Thankfully her progress on the mural was moving at a quick pace. She still had quite a few portraits and landmark buildings to paint, but she was sure she’d finish well ahead of the December deadline. Seeing the mural unveiled at the resort’s grand opening over the holidays would be very exciting.
A knock came at the door. She tightened the belt on her silk bathrobe and hurried to answer.
The Last-Chance Maverick Page 18
