by Liv Brywood
She rolled her luggage bag through the door, carefully avoiding the frame. She silently walked down the hall toward the front of the house, that’s when she heard voices. She froze. A male and female voice drifted down from the kitchen. She’d recognize them anywhere.
Devin said, “I don’t think she’s going to want to talk to me.”
Morgana said, “It’s time you two cleared the air. I know you didn’t start the rumor about the affair. I’d like to get my hands on whoever did. It took a toll on Katelyn and we lost her because of it.”
“I lost her because of it,” he grumbled.
Katelyn couldn’t remain silent for another second. She dropped the handle on her luggage and stormed into the kitchen. “That’s right. You lost me because you lied about my relationship with Tony. Why did you do it? Why?”
Devin’s jaw dropped. His gaze moved from her face down the length of her body and back. She bristled. He had no right to look at her like that. She knew that look. A spark of desire glimmered in his golden eyes.
He’d filled out in every way a man should. His face had a rustic sensuality that she tried to ignore. A plaid shirt hugged his broad shoulders. Blue jeans stretched across his firm thighs. She didn’t even have to touch him to know he was rock hard in all the right places. He probably hid washboard abs under those clothes. But she didn’t care. It didn’t matter how sexy he’d become, she’d never think of him that way. Never again.
As he pushed back from the table, the chair scraped along the wood floor. “After all these years, you still don’t believe me?”
“No.”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t know how to prove it to you.”
“You can’t.” She stomped back to her luggage and dragged it to the front door. “Coming here was a mistake. Morgana, thanks for letting me stay the night. I’m leaving and I won’t be back.”
She flung open the door and stepped into the freezing air. She barely felt it as she made her way to the truck. After stuffing her suitcase into the trunk, she slammed the lid. She’d just grabbed the driver’s side door handle when Devin came barreling down the steps.
He yelled, “Wait.”
She didn’t stop. Screw him and screw this town. If she never saw him again, it would be too soon.
Devin jogged toward the driver’s side and made a motion as if asking her to roll down the window. She ignored him and fired up the ignition. It clicked but wouldn’t turn over.
“Fuck!” She slammed her fist against the steering wheel.
She took a breath before trying the key again. This time absolutely nothing happened. Great, she couldn’t even escape without a problem.
“Open the hood,” Devin yelled.
She glared but popped the hood. She slid out of the car and circled to the front where Devin hunched over the engine. Cars were a complete mystery, so she had no idea what she was looking at when he pulled a bundle of wires out. But she knew what melted plastic and fried wires looked like. Crap.
“You’re going to need to replace this,” he said.
“Great.”
“Hank will be able to fix it.”
Hank Truman had owned the only car repair shop in town ten years ago. He was probably still the only mechanic within fifty miles. She didn’t want to have to face anyone in town, but she didn’t have much of a choice.
“Is he still up on Electric Avenue?” she asked.
“Yep. I could give you a ride if you want.”
“No thanks. I’ll walk.”
“Suit yourself.”
She slammed the hood of the car. It was three blocks to Hank’s Garage. A steel-gray cloud passed across the sun. It plunged the day into momentary twilight. She scowled. If the damn storm broke before she reached his place, she’d be soaked.
Wind whipped her long hair against her back. Frigid air bit through her jacket and snow pants. For a second, she considered taking Devin up on his offer. But then she came to her senses. She’d rather get frostbite than accept any help from him.
As she stalked down the road, she passed a pancake restaurant. A group of smiling tourists watched her through the frost-trimmed windows. An army of snowmobiles lined the street. She half-considered stealing one. She’d be half way to Bozeman before it ran out of gas.
But there were two problems with the idea. One, she wasn’t a thief. And two, she’d probably run the damn thing off the road and into the river. For whatever reason, she absolutely sucked at driving snowmobiles.
She reached the door to Hank’s and tugged. When it didn’t give, she cupped her hands around her eyes and peeked inside. The lights were out and the building looked vacant. She backed up a step to look for a store hour’s sign.
Dammit, the shop didn’t open until 9 a.m. Stupid winter hours.
As she stood on the stoop trying to decide what to do next, a mud-crusted black jeep pulled into the small parking lot.
Devin opened the door and jumped down. “I thought I’d check to see if you made it all right.”
“I’m fine.”
“Is Hank’s open yet?”
“Not for another hour.”
“Well you can’t wait out here. It’s only about twenty degrees. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
He flashed a smile that sent butterflies fluttering through her belly. Yes, he was a complete asshole, but he was still sexy as hell. Damn him.
She glanced at the pancake restaurant across the street. A blast of arctic air sent goosebumps skittering across her exposed neck. She pulled the hood of her jacket up and cinched the front. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She couldn’t wait outside in this weather.
“Fine.”
Another smile lit up his face. For a second, her heart dropped. Before the scandal had hit, he’d been her best friend. They’d spent almost every waking moment together. In the summer, they’d hike into the back country and make love under the stars. In the winter, they’d snuggle up and roast s’mores over the fire pit in his backyard. She thought they’d get married. But then everything had fallen apart.
She tromped through the snow toward the restaurant. This was just coffee, nothing more. She’d only have to spend a little time with him. Then she’d be on her way and out of his life forever.
When they reached the front door, Devin hurried to open it for her. As she stepped past him, her wrist brushed his arm. A spark of awareness raced up to awaken every inch of her body. The strong, masculine scent she used to adore teased her senses. She fought to get her body under control. Why was she reacting to him like this? She didn’t want him at all. Okay, maybe a little, but only until she remembered what he’d done.
He followed her into the dining area. The restaurant had a country kitchen feel with a hint of rugged hunter. Red and white checkered table cloths covered wooden tables. The heads of various animals decorated the walls. They’d creeped her out as a kid and she still avoided their vacant gazes. She chose a table in the back corner, away from the windows.
A plump waitress ambled over. “What can I get you guys?”
Katelyn smiled. She recognized Tammy immediately. The woman had been working at the restaurant for as long as she could remember.
Tammy tapped a pencil against her notepad. “All be dammed. Katelyn, when did you get back in town?”
Before she could answer, the waitress narrowed her gaze at Devin. “Haven’t seen you around much.”
Devin’s eyebrows drew together as a slight frown formed on his face. “I’ve been working.”
“Still over at Pete’s Rentals?”
“Yep. Snowmobile tours in the winter and hiking trips in the summer. Livin’ the dream.” A hint of sarcasm enveloped his words.
“What’ll it be?” Tammy asked.
Katelyn said, “I’ll have coffee and a slice of huckleberry pie.”
“For breakfast?” Devin asked.
She sat up in the chair. “Yes, do you have a problem with that?”
“No,” he lifte
d the menu to hide a playful grin. “I’ll have the Old Faithful Lumberjack Special.”
After the waitress left, silence stretched between them. Katelyn fiddled with the bear-shaped salt and pepper shakers. “I can’t believe they still have these, after all these years.”
“Some things never change,” he said.
Something in his voice caused her to meet his gaze. She quickly looked away. The wistful look in his eyes was too much, and she wouldn’t be swayed by him. There was nothing he could say or do that would keep her in town for a second longer than she needed to be.
“So, you moved to New York?”
She nodded. “Yep.”
“That’s about as far away from here as you can get.”
Tammy arrived with two mugs. As she poured the coffee, she gave them a curious glance. She left without saying anything.
Katelyn tore open two packets of sugar and dumped it into the cup. She poured fresh cream until the coffee turned a caramel color. She hated the taste, but loved the caffeine. She’d need to be extra alert to make the drive back to Bozeman.
She glanced at the clock. Forty minutes to go. She studied the contents of her cup as if it contained the secrets of the universe.
Devin leaned back in his chair. “Why’d you come back?”
The question seemed to come out of nowhere. “The centennial Yule celebration is in two days. I came in a little early so I could spend time with old friends.”
“No one mentioned it to me.”
“Why would they?” A hard edge marked her tone.
He shrugged. “Maybe because we were together for so long.”
“Four years during high school might have felt like a long time back then, but now it’s a lifetime ago.”
He pressed his lips together. “You left without saying goodbye.”
“Your lies drove me away.”
She hadn’t realized she’d raised her voice until a few of the other patrons looked her way. She slunk down in the chair. This was a mistake. She should have taken her chances in the cold.
He said, “I never lied. I don’t know what I need to do to make you believe me.”
“Every single person in this town knew that you were the one who started the rumor about me and Tony. Trust me, I asked around. There wasn’t a single person who defended you.”
He leaned forward. “Someone else started it, but for the love of God, I don’t know who, or why.”
She shook her head. “Still hanging onto that story after all this time.”
The coffee turned bitter on her lips. She set the mug down and wrapped her cold hands around it.
His hand slid across the table to grasp hers. “I’ve always told you the truth.”
She’d always loved the way his hands completely enveloped hers. Although she’d been a plump girl, she’d always felt dainty next to him. But that was the past.
She pulled her hand away. “Just stop.”
He huffed and crossed his arms over his muscular chest.
Tammy arrived with the pie and breakfast special. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Just the check. Please split it,” Katelyn said.
“I’ll pay for it. Just bring me the whole check,” Devin said.
Tammy said, “Okay.”
“Not okay. Split the check.” Katelyn gripped her fork in her fist as if preparing to do battle.
“Suit yourself.” Devin sighed.
Katelyn stabbed at the pie with the fork. Her stomach knotted. There was no way she could eat now. Damn him.
Devin dug into a pile of hash browns. He shoved a huge clump into his mouth then chewed vigorously. He’d always eaten a lot. She hated that he could stuff whatever he wanted in his face and never gain weight.
When Tammy returned with both checks, Katelyn stood. “Goodbye Devin.”
He looked up at her with sadness in his eyes. She didn’t care. She turned and walked out into the freezing wind.
Across the street, neon lights flickered on to illuminate Hank’s open sign. Thank Goddess.
She hurried across the street and yanked open the door. Hank stood behind the counter. He hadn’t aged a day. Still tall and lanky, he sported a grizzled beard worthy of a lumberjack.
“I’ll be dammed. You never know what the storm’s going to blow in.” He grinned as he circled around to the front of the counter. He enveloped her in a bear hug.
She couldn’t help but laugh. He was everyone’s favorite uncle, whether he was actually related to them or not.
“It’s great to see you.”
“You too. I heard you ran off to be a city slicker.”
“I’ve been living in New York.”
“Hell of a city. I went there once when I was younger. Thought I wanted to see the world. Then I realized everything I thought I wanted, I already had. Right here.”
A veil of sadness cloaked her heart. If only things were that easy.
“So what can I do for you?” he asked.
“My rental broke down. It’s parked over at Morgana’s. Some wires looked like they’ve been dipped in the Fountain Paint Pots.”
He smiled. “Nothing like acidic mud to ruin an engine.”
“Can you take a look at it?”
“Sure. I’ll drive you over. My bum leg isn’t doing so hot these days.”
In less than five minutes, they arrived at Morgana’s house. Hank popped open the hood and poked around for a moment. “It’s your spark plug ignition wires. Burned clean through. I’ll need to take the upper intake manifold off. It’ll take me a couple of hours to fix it.”
Great! She was stuck here even longer. “Sounds good.”
“I’ll give you a call here when I’m done.”
“Oh, I won’t be here. I’ll be in town. I’ll call to check in and see how things are going.” She didn’t want to have to face Morgana and listen to her defend Devin.
“Okie dokie.”
The sun broke through the clouds casting light across the snow. It sparkled like a million diamonds. Snow didn’t look like this in New York City. It took on a filthy brown tinge from all of the pollution. As Katelyn walked into town, she admired the winter wonderland. Boughs of holly and large golden bells decorated the streetlamps. Christmas lights twinkled in the windows of the stores that stayed open for the winter.
As she passed the ice cream shop, she laughed. Snow was piled up past the windows. They were closed in the winter, so no one bothered to clear a path to the door. She’d spent many summer nights sitting on the redwood picnic tables with Devin. Although she loved huckleberry ice cream, mocha almond fudge was her favorite.
She slowed her pace. The more she walked through town, the more memories flooded back to her. Every corner brought a new rush of sadness. She could see Devin’s smile as they waited in line at the old theater. She could hear his laughter as they traipsed through the store that sold T-shirts with silly sayings on them.
She reached the edge of the tiny town and looked left toward the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The park opened for the winter in Mid-December, so it had been open about a week. It was tempting to rent a snowmobile to take a trip up to Minerva Terraces, but she couldn’t venture into the park without a park-approved guide.
She had a few more hours to kill, so she headed toward the old tavern. It couldn’t be much past ten a.m., but she knew they opened early in the winter. Some people tried to beat the cold with booze, which was totally counterintuitive. But sometimes people just needed an excuse to escape their lives.
As she opened the heavy door, the sound of an old country music classic played over the jukebox. As the singer droned on about losing his wife and horse, she settled onto a barstool. The bar had been carved out of a huge redwood log. Decades of use had worn the corners into a smooth curve.
She opened the menu and instantly found a local classic, the huckleberry martini. After ordering it, she stared out the window. A pack of snowmobilers raced by, leaving a flurry of snow in their wake. She won
dered if Devin was their guide.
The bartender returned with the drink. “Let me know when you want another one.”
She sipped the sweet cocktail. This was a great idea. She could easily kill a few hours listening to country and sipping martinis.
A few seats down, a woman hunched over a tumbler of whiskey. She turned to look at Katelyn and her eyes widened.
Crap, Patrice Killjoy, Tony’s wife.
Katelyn quickly looked away but it was too late. Patrice slid across the barstools until she plopped onto the one beside her. “Well I’ll be damned. Girl, I’ve been thinking about you for ten years.”
Katelyn ignored her and called for the bartender. He ambled over.
“I’m leaving. Can you give me the check?”
“Sure thing.”
Molasses moved faster than the grizzled barkeep. She could feel Patrice’s gaze boring into her side. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the woman take a swig of whiskey. Time hadn’t been kind to her. Lines cracked the formerly smooth planes of her face. Her vibrant golden hair had faded to a dull grey.
When she spoke, the woman’s voice sounded like she’d smoked three packs a day for the last ten years. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about the past. Doctors say I don’t have much longer ‘till the cancer kills me. I have so many regrets… so many…”
Katelyn ignored her ramblings. Come on, come on, where was that bartender?
“…I should have stayed with Tony. I was such a fool to leave my husband. He was good to me. A better man than Jack Tomlinson. That rat bastard.”
The bartender returned with the check. She didn’t bother to look at it. Ten dollars would be enough to cover one drink. She didn’t want to have to wait around for change. She needed to get to the mechanic to see if the damn car was fixed yet.
