Rocky Mountain Nights (Roberts of Silver Springs #6)

by Kirsten Osbourne

  Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Fine. Dishes for me tomorrow. Yay.”

  “Come on. Back to cleaning potties with you!”

  “I hate you. I really hate you.”

  Bekah nodded. “That’s nice. Upstairs with you.” Bekah winked at her cousin as soon as Jennifer’s back was turned. “See you when we’re done.” She stopped short. “I almost forgot the Franks left these. One box for each of us!” She handed Bri her box of chocolates. “I think it would be great if we started buying their chocolates in bulk for candy dishes around the B&B and to put on pillows at night. Think about it!”

  Bri took the box with a grin. “I will!”

  Bekah hurried after Jennifer and heard her griping. “I hate cleaning bathrooms. I hate doing dishes. I hate making beds. Why can’t I do something that I like for a living?”

  “Because there are no jobs where people will pay you for stealing other women’s boyfriends. Sorry, Jennifer. Life just doesn’t work that way.”

  “Why are you always so mean to me?” Jennifer asked, her voice at its whiniest.

  “Why are you mean to every woman I know? If you can find the answer to that, you’ll find why I’m mean to you. Because you need it!” Bekah led the way to the next room, glad that most of the guests were out for the day. As she was unlocking the door, she saw Hunter head into his room. “Do you want your room cleaned today?” she called out to him.

  Hunter contemplated for a moment before nodding. “I’m going to spend a couple of hours in the gazebo writing. If you want to get it while I’m out, that would be great.”

  “We’ll head over there as soon as we finish this one,” she responded.

  “You’re always talking to Hunter,” Jennifer said. “Tell me about him.”

  “He’s a man who is staying here at the B&B. There’s nothing else I can tell you due to guest confidentiality.” If Jennifer tried to sink her claws into Hunter, she’d take her down. No one brought out her violent side quite like Jennifer did.

  “You’re just being mean.”

  “It’s time to work, Jennifer. Now.” Bekah turned her music on again, watching as Jennifer cleaned the toilet right. It was the first time she’d done so, but Bekah was sure she’d only done it right so she wouldn’t have to keep doing it. “Good job. You did that perfectly.”

  “Wow, the great Bekah Roberts gives a compliment.” Jennifer wiped down the counter and started on the mirror.

  “I give a lot of compliments, Jennifer. You’ve just never deserved one.” Bekah went out to pick up the room as best she could with all the guests’ things laying everywhere. This particular couple wasn’t the neatest in the world, but she was simply glad they weren’t in the room while they were trying to clean. That was the worst. Trying to save time, she quickly made up the bed and opened the curtains. This was her favorite room, The Sound of Music room. She wasn’t looking forward to Jennifer seeing the ugly paint on the wall in the Wicked room.

  Jennifer came out of the bathroom five minutes later. “I just have to stock the towels, and I’m done.” She looked at the rest of the room, her eyes wide. “Thank you for helping me.”

  “You’re welcome. You did such a good job on the toilet, that I thought I should give you some help.” Bekah hoped that she could not only teach the other woman how to clean, but also teach her to be nice. Someone had to. Stepping into the bathroom, she looked around with a smile. Jennifer had even folded the toilet paper into a point like she’d taught her. “You did a really good job in here.”

  Jennifer smiled slightly. “Thank you.”

  Bekah was surprised to see that Jennifer seemed pleased with herself. Did she just need a little praise to act like a human for a change? “We’re heading down to do Hunter’s room next. If you’ll just run the vacuum in here, I’ll push the cart down and get started there. It’s the room all the way on the end on the right.”

  Jennifer nodded, plugging in the vacuum. Bekah shook her head as she made the long walk down the hall. She wasn’t sure what to think, but she was still afraid to turn her back on the persnickety woman.

  Starting on the main room, she opened the curtains and picked up a couple of pieces of notebook paper that had fallen to the floor. The remains of his boxed lunch from the day before were on the nightstand and she threw those out, emptying the trash cans. She’d let Jennifer continue to do the bathrooms, because she wanted her to get good at one thing before she moved on. Having her do the entire first two rooms by herself had been a mistake. Now she was going to try to change things up a little to see if she could improve her teaching methods.

  Jennifer joined her a short while later, pushing the vacuum along the hall. “You want me to start on the bathroom?”

  “Yup. That’s your job.”

  Jennifer wrinkled her nose, but she took the potty brush and the cleaners and she got to work. Bekah made the bed and dusted the furniture. She plugged in the vacuum and worked on the floor, surprised when Jennifer finished a minute before she did. She shut off the vacuum and checked on the bathroom, nodding and smiling at her pupil. “You did a really good job. I think you’re getting the hang of it.”

  Jennifer actually smiled. “Thank you. Every time I tried to clean at the hotel, someone told me I did something wrong, and it made me feel like I’d never get good at it.”

  Bekah smiled, and patted Jennifer on the arm. “No one is born knowing how to clean. You have to be taught by someone. You always had a maid growing up, didn’t you?”

  Jennifer sighed dramatically. “And now I am one!”

  “You’ll survive. We’ve always had to work for our spending money.”

  “Your parents were mean. My parents wanted me to have the best of everything, and I never had to work.”

  Bekah looked at Jennifer. “Do you really think my parents were mean? Look at us. I’m a successful businesswoman, and I’m happy. I truly enjoy my life. You’re miserable and you spend all your time trying to make the people around you miserable. Yes, you were given everything. I think I was the more fortunate.” She let that sink in as she unplugged the vacuum to go to the next room.

  Jennifer seemed to be deep in thought throughout the cleaning of the rest of the rooms. As soon as they were finished, she sighed. “I guess we’re done for the day.”

  Bekah laughed. “You don’t think the main areas of the house need to be cleaned? There are two bathrooms downstairs that need your new expertise. I’ll vacuum and dust while you deal with the bathrooms. And the kitchen floor will need to be scrubbed as soon as we’re done.”

  “Bri’ll be in the kitchen,” Jennifer complained.

  “What is your problem with Bri? Everyone in the world loves her except you.”

  Jennifer sighed. “That’s my problem with Bri.”

  Bekah shook her head as she watched Jennifer push the cart down to the closet to put it away. The girl was odd. There was obviously something very screwed up in her head.

  By the time Jennifer left for the day, Bekah was exhausted, and she still had her outside chores to do. She looked up as Bri approached. “I’m going to have to hire someone to mow the lawn if I work with Jennifer for much longer. That woman wears me out.”

  “She didn’t get any better, did she?”

  “Actually…go look at the downstairs bathrooms. They look amazing. She figured out how to do the job. It’s just…she hates you so much. I think that’s the worst part of it all for her. She can’t stand working for you.”

  Bri shook her head. “I don’t know what her problem is. I really don’t. Do I need to stay late so you can mow the lawn?”

  “Would it hurt you to stay an extra hour tonight? You’ll have most of the day off tomorrow.” Bekah knew they were still waiting on one couple, and it would be best if they could be greeted by someone who wasn’t covered in grass stains and mowing the lawn.

  “I can do that. I’ll call Anthony and let him know.”

  Bekah hugged her cousin. “Thanks.”

  “We’re a partne
rship. You’re doing a lot for our business by dealing with Princess Mean Girl.”

  Bekah smiled, heading out to the shed behind the property. She could see Hunter sitting in the gazebo, and she wished she had time to chat with him for a bit, but she really didn’t. She needed to get the lawn mowed fast, so Bri could go home to her new husband.

  An hour later, she ran up to shower the green off her skin and then went to sit in the parlor, waiting for the final guests to arrive. She was surprised it hadn’t happened yet, but she couldn’t complain. It was her job to be at their convenience, not the other way around.

  She was flipping through channels when Hunter joined her. “What are you doing for dinner?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “I have no idea. I might see if Bri has anything in the freezer for me. Sometimes she brings me her leftovers and freezes them so I’ll have something good to eat on nights like this, when I’m trapped here waiting for a guest to arrive.”

  “I could go pick something up for us.”

  “Would you mind?” Her mind flipped through all the places in town. “You could get a pizza from the Italian Bistro. Or you could run through the golden arches. Or get a sandwich from Books ‘N Beans.”

  “Books ‘N Beans?”

  “Coffee shop and book store combo that Bri’s sister Emma runs. It’s on Main Street just a couple of blocks south. She does sandwiches and soup.”

  Hunter made a face as he thought about it. “Is pizza the only thing you can carry out from the Italian place?”

  “Not at all. They make a mean lasagna. And I’m totally craving a chicken fettucine alfredo. Who is alfredo anyway? Have you ever wondered that?” Bekah asked, smiling her lopsided grin.

  “Does everyone in your family have that same grin?” he asked, mesmerized by her.

  She nodded. “Well, all of the dads and all of us cousins. Our moms don’t, because they’re not related to the dads, which is good because eww.”

  “You know, I’m happy to hear that your moms are not related to your dads. Family trees really should have branches. Even when you feel the need to prune them often!”

  “Do you have a big family?”

  He shook his head. “I have a brother. No cousins.”

  “You’ll have to hide if the whole family comes around then. I can’t imagine how you’d react to the full Roberts clan. We’re a mess.”

  “And there are how many of you?”

  “My grandmother, the one we inherited this house from, had three boys. Steve, Ralph, and Robert. Each boy married. Steve had two sons and a daughter, Ralph had two daughters and a son, and Bob had a son and three daughters. So there are ten grandkids total.”

  “Wow. That is a big family.”

  Bekah nodded. “The best thing about it is we’re all close. We really do care about each other.”

  He watched her face for a moment before nodding. “You and Bri seem to be extra close.”

  “Yeah, we are. We were born a week apart, and we’ve always been best friends as well as cousins. She’s as much sister as cousin.” She looked at him, clutching her stomach. “How did we get sidetracked? I’m starving!”

  He laughed. “Do you have a menu for the Italian place?”

  She jumped up and ran to a bookshelf, getting a binder marked “Menus” and bringing it to him. “Bri is the most organized human being in the whole world. It’s even alphabetized.”

  He grinned, flipping through until he found the right menu. “You said the lasagna is good?”

  “Delicious.”

  “Okay, I’ll get the lasagna. And you want the fettucine?”

  “Yup! If you’ll go pick it up, I’ll call in an order. Tell them it’s for Bekah. They know me there.”

  “Is there anywhere in town they don’t know you?” Hunter asked with a grin.

  “Absolutely not. I’ve lived here all my life! I was born in the hospital here in town.”

  “Nice. I’m on my way.”

  “Wait…let me give you money for my share.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. My treat. Seems I asked you on the first date, huh?” He winked as he left the house.

  Bekah stared after him, a grin playing at her lips. Who would have thought she could fall for a writer? She’d always pictured herself in love with a ski instructor…or a rock climber. No, as many of them as she’d dated, it just hadn’t happened for her. A mystery writer. How many years would it take her to get over that? Hopefully before the first of the babies were born…

  The door chimed and Bekah hurried into the hallway. “Hi, I’m Bekah Roberts. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Baynard.” She blinked at the little blonde in front of her. “Wait. Aren’t you MaryBeth from Lazy Love?”

  The girl smiled. “I am. Amber Knight is my professional name. We’re here to hide for a while. You don’t have paparazzi all over Silver Springs, do you?”

  “Not so far.” Bekah shook her head. “My cousin and I watch the show religiously. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  Amber smiled, shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

  Bekah pulled a key out of her pocket. “Sorry, I was star-struck for a minute there, but I promise not to hound you obsessively. Your room is room six. Go to the top of the stairs, and it’s the second room on the left. Breakfast is from six to ten in the morning, and it’s served in the dining room. If you need anything, just ask. I live on the third floor, and if you push the help button on the phone in your room, it’ll wake me and I’ll come down.”

  “Sounds great.” Amber took the key. “See you in the morning for breakfast.”

  When Hunter got back with the food a few minutes later, Bekah was still excited. “Amber Knight is staying here with her husband.”

  “Who’s Amber Knight?”

  “Don’t you watch Lazy Love?”

  “I’m not really a television person. I’ll binge watch something between books, but that’s about it.”

  “You are missing out.” She shook her head at him as she led him into the kitchen.

  Chapter Five

  After they’d eaten, Bekah looked at Hunter. “Want to go for a walk? That’s my favorite part of living here. Late at night when the stars are out, and I can walk.”

  “You don’t have to stay here?”

  “I’ll forward any calls to my cell. It’s fine.” She often walked around late at night. She couldn’t stay in when it was so gorgeous outside. She didn’t know how anyone could.

  “Sounds good then.” He loved walking late at night when other people were in bed. It wasn’t that late yet, but he would never turn down the opportunity to spend time with her. Three weeks of stolen moments would never be enough.

  She set up the forwarding, and they left the house. She kept hoping he’d reach for her hand, but when he hadn’t after they’d passed the gazebo, she reached for his. “Do you mind?” she asked.

  Hunter looked down at her with surprise. Why would he mind if she held his hand? “I don’t mind. I might even like it.”

  “Oh, you might? How will I know if you do like it?”

  “I had no idea I was so mysterious until I met you. I think you see me differently than most people do.” He thought he was an open book most of the time. Why couldn’t she read him?

  “Why do you say that?” she asked. It couldn’t be true, could it? She’d seen the way Jennifer looked at him when she’d realized there was a man in town who didn’t know about her man-eating ways. As soon as the words filtered through her brain, she started humming the song, “Man Eater” by Hall and Oates.

  He looked at her for a moment. “Is that ‘Man Eater?’ Why did you suddenly start humming that!”

  She blushed, glad he couldn’t see her in the dark. “I was thinking about how Jennifer zeroed in on you today, because you were ‘fresh meat.’ And then I started thinking about the song…and I didn’t really even realize I was humming it.”

  “Is she really that bad?” he asked. He’d sensed something was off about the woman, but he had
no idea what it was. And why would anyone zero in on him?

  She laughed. “You don’t understand about Jennifer. Jennifer has stolen every single boyfriend Bri has had. Well, until Anthony refused to be stolen. And she tried to break up Erin and Jack more than once. She’s a snake.” Bekah shook her head. “That’s mean of me. I try not to say bad things about people. Of course, no one deserves it quite like Jennifer does.”

  “So why are you training her again?”

  She sighed. “I feel like I owe her parents a favor. They’ve always been really kind. Bri and I had a lot of questions for them when we were opening the B&B. Also, we had to take out a loan to finish the renovations, which we didn’t want to do. We’ll be able to pay off a good chunk of that debt thanks to the money her parents are paying me. No one else will work with her.”

  “That’s really sad. Can you imagine having to pay someone to let your kid work for them?” He shook his head. “Maybe it’s best if I don’t think about it too much. I’ll start feeling sorry for her.”

  Bekah groaned. “Just don’t ask her out. She’d never let me live it down.”

  “Why wouldn’t she?” He didn’t really understand city women, and small town women seemed to be even more complicated. It was starting to hurt his head.

  “Because she knows I’m interested in you. I should work harder at hiding it, but I’ve never been good at subterfuge. What you see is what you get where I’m concerned, I’m afraid.”

  Hunter stopped walking, pulling her to a stop beside him. “You’re interested in wasting a couple of weeks with me while I’m here on vacation, right?”

  Bekah looked up at him, liking the way his blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “Well…Okay, here’s the truth. I told you I’m not good with subterfuge.” She took a deep breath. “I’m really interested in you. I’m looking at you and imagining a white wedding and babies in a stroller. And I never imagine babies in a stroller. I can’t figure out where that’s coming from.” She tilted her head to the side. “That may be because Mom is obsessing about all the marriages and all the grandbabies she’s thinking to get. She’s already in love with my brother Spike’s girlfriend’s kid, Ethan. I think she’s going a bit overboard.”