One Hundred Goodbyes: An Aspen Cove Romance

by Collins, Kelly

  “That would be pretty on you.”

  Her eyes grew big. “Oh, it’s lovely but so impractical.”

  He picked one off the rack and held it up to her. “Not for what I have in mind.” He tossed it in the cart. “Don’t argue. Just promise you’ll wear it when I take you on a picnic tomorrow.”

  “Don’t you work?”

  “Nope. Tomorrow we have a picnic date.”

  “A date?” She tilted her head and stared up at him. She didn’t know what to make of this man. At first, he seemed less than happy to have her in his home. He was never mean, but she could tell that her presence was an inconvenience and how could it not be? Now he was asking her on a date. “Like a real date?”

  “You sound surprised.” A laugh rolled from deep inside him. “We did sleep together. The least I can do is take you out.”

  Her cheeks were stand in front of the fire hot, but the only flame around was Thomas. “We didn’t actually sleep together.”

  He touched her nose with his finger. “Yes, we did. We slept … together.”

  They walked down the aisle tossing things in the cart. All along, Eden kept track of the cost of everything. She was close to being at her maximum budget. Thankfully, she didn’t need much in the way of baby clothes. She had boxes of them. Everything to dress Rocky or Rockette for the first two years.

  When they approached the register with a cart full of diapers and wipes, Good & Plenty, and a beautiful salmon colored dress, Thomas stopped dead in his tracks.

  She followed his line of sight to a woman who was equally frozen in place.

  “You okay?” She put her hand on his arm. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  He covered her hand with his. “I have. A poltergeist from my past.”

  The woman he stared at moved her cart ahead in the aisle and began to unload her items.

  “You want to talk about it?”

  He shook his head as he tossed their items onto the conveyor belt. “No, but we’ll have to.”

  When the cashier told them the total, Thomas insisted on paying.

  “I can pay for my things.”

  He lowered himself so they were eye to eye. “I know you can, and I know you want to, but wearing white boxers loosens the hold on my wallet. You saved me at least this much in embarrassment or replacement costs.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Let me show my appreciation.”

  She wasn’t used to such generosity. First the town and now him. “How did your stuff turn pink?” They moved out of the store and started for his truck.

  “James didn’t sort the laundry. Up until a few weeks ago, I lived at the fire station. It was James’ turn to do the wash. He thought he’d save time and toss it all together.”

  “Bad move.”

  “No doubt.”

  When they got to the truck, he helped Eden inside after insisting he unload the cart. She loved how he took care of her. How he treated her special. Made her feel valued. It was all she ever wanted from her past relationships. Even the one with her sister.

  He was rounding the corner of the truck when the woman from the store walked up to him. Her eyes kept glancing past him to Eden. How she wanted to be a fly on the wall of the conversation happening before her.

  With Thomas’s tense stance, it had to be a doozy.

  He turned around to look at her and smiled when he held up one finger. The truck was getting warm, so she opened her door a crack. While she couldn’t hear everything being said, she did catch snippets like you lied, the baby, destroyed me.

  All she could figure was this was the woman who’d broken Thomas’s heart. Feeling guilty for listening to a private conversation, she quietly closed her door and hoped they’d finish before she died of heat stroke.

  Not willing to listen was different from not wanting to look. She took the woman in all the way from her short dark hair to her denim shorts, perfect for the uncharacteristically warm September day. She wasn’t super thin but also not overweight. Pretty was being conservative.

  The woman reached into her purse and pulled out a picture, but Thomas turned around and entered the truck.

  His hands shook as he started the engine and backed out of the space.

  Eden stayed silent, figuring he’d talk when he was ready.

  “Are you hungry?”

  It had been a few hours since they’d eaten. “I could eat. Are you okay?”

  She wanted to reach over and palm his cheek to see if she could stop the tic in his jaw. Soften the hardened muscle. Kiss a smile back on his face.

  “I will be. Give me a few minutes. How about a burger? There’s a place called Chico’s that serves the best burgers in town.”

  Without knowing the details, she couldn’t offer him anything but her company, and if he wanted a burger then she’d be happy to ride along.

  “Sounds great.” She reached over and set her hand on his thigh. It was an intimate move, but it was important for him to know he wasn’t alone.

  When his hand moved over hers, she knew he understood her objective.

  Minutes later they pulled in the parking lot of a dive called Chico’s. It was a walkup with outdoor tables wrapped around the front and side of the building.

  Thomas picked one in the shade and told her to trust him when he left her alone to order food. Oddly enough, she did trust him. Enough that she was living with him. Letting him into her doctor’s appointments as if he had a say. Inviting him into her heart as if he had earned the right to be there.

  When he came back with two red plastic baskets filled with fries and burgers, he sat across from her and let out a long exhale.

  “That was Sarah.”

  Something inside her knew before he said the name.

  “I figured.”

  He took a napkin and folded it in half before he set it between them and squeezed a blob of ketchup in the center.

  “She destroyed me.”

  She stayed quiet and let him talk. It was obviously the day for confessions. It had been less than twenty-four hours since she’d spilled her truths on him, and now he was doing the same.

  “She wasn’t faithful.”

  That part broke her heart because Thomas was the kind of man that deserved complete loyalty.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “She got pregnant and lied to me. Told me it was mine, and I was so excited. Heather was born and ten minutes later her father was banging at the delivery door screaming to see his child.”

  Her stomach tightened. No wonder he’d looked at her with suspicion in the beginning. Telling her that the father had a right to know. If Sarah had been honest, Thomas would have had choices. Knowing him as she did, the generous man that he appeared to be, made her think if given the choice, he probably would have been there to help Sarah.

  “Did she ever apologize?”

  He pulled a French fry through the lake of ketchup, swirling it in a circle. “That day at the hospital, I’d cut the umbilical cord and held her.” He closed his eyes as if he was reliving the moment. “I had her for ten minutes, and I was in love, then David barged in and said the baby was his.” He rubbed his palm over his face. “That’s when she apologized. She knew the gig was up. She couldn’t lie to both of us at the same time because the lies would be different.”

  She got up and sat beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. Did you know him?”

  “Not really. He was her boss. I was gone a lot. In a big city fire department, I’d pull lots of shifts. Gone for four days and home for three, sometimes less. When there were fires, we could be gone for days.”

  Eden wanted to crawl into his lap and hold him. Rock him and tell him it wasn’t his fault. “Are you blaming yourself?”

  He twisted so he faced her. “I was gone. She was lonely.”

  She reached up and cupped his face. “Thomas, everyone gets lonely but not everyone cheats. Not everyone lies. Don’t let one bad experience dictate your future.”

  H
is eyes shifted from hers to her burgeoning belly. As if it was a natural action, his palms melded to the round of her stomach. “I’m so afraid, Eden. So frightened by opening my heart. Scared to death of losing everything again.” He swiped at his eye. “You were the worst thing and the best thing that came my way. You opened up a festering wound, but your presence helps heal too.”

  She wanted to cry for him. “We’re friends. That’s what friends do for each other.”

  He moved his hands over her stomach, softly, reverently. “You remind me of everything I lost and everything I want.”

  She opened her arms and leaned into him for a hug. “I’ve got you.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Eden

  Dressed in the salmon colored dress Thomas bought her, Eden sat on the couch and attempted to paint her toenails. It was like trying to bend over a barrel and still reach her feet.

  He’d left an hour ago to run errands with the promise he’d be back soon and that gave her enough time to pretty herself up.

  “I know, baby.” She rubbed the top of her tummy where little Rocky was giving her a one-two punch or maybe an undercut for cramping his style. If it was Rockette, she figured the little girl was a gymnast doing a cartwheel with a twist. “Only eight toes to go and Mommy will be finished.”

  The beat of her heart sped as she said the word Mommy. Weeks ago, she had been prepping to be an aunt, and now she was a mom. Deep inside, she knew she’d always be a mom but had hoped giving her sister a child would bridge the gap their difference in ages had caused.

  A rattle at the front door made her sit back and take a breath. Four toes down and six to go.

  Thomas walked in and her already speeding heart ticked up a notch. With his good looks and hard body, he was a dream come true and she couldn’t believe her luck. Luck wasn’t really the word when it came to Thomas. Doc Parker had everything to do with putting the two of them together. Was it because Thomas’s house was the best fit for Eden or was it because Thomas was?

  “You look beautiful.” He walked inside and closed the door with a push of his hip. Both of his hands were full. One had a large bouquet and the other a paper bag folded and stapled neatly at the top. “Are you hungry?”

  Thomas moved like syrup. Everything he did was smooth and with intention. He never appeared to get out of sorts. Always seemed to manage his frustration with a Zen quality.

  “I’m starving. What did you get?” She leaned over and tried to finish polishing her toes while he approached.

  “I got these for you, though they pale in comparison to your beauty.” He offered her the flowers.

  “You are the sweetest man. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say nothing.” He took the spot beside her on the sofa. “Show me with a kiss.”

  She shoved the nail polish brush into the bottle and set it on the table. “Who knew painting my nails would be so hard?”

  He stared down at her half-painted toes and laughed. “Kissing me will be easier and far more enjoyable.”

  Everything he said to her was swoon-worthy. He made her hot and melty when he was around.

  She met him in the middle and touched his lips with hers. The hot sear of passion pushed through her like a flame. How in the hell could a man like him want to kiss a woman like her?

  Could it be that they were both so broken that the shards left of their lives fit perfectly together? She didn’t know, but she didn’t want him to stop kissing her.

  The feel of his tongue against hers. Strong and passionate. Seeking but not demanding. Offering and not taking. Had she ever been with a person who gave more than they took? She tried to be that person in every relationship. Wasn’t it time she took something for herself?

  They spent five minutes kissing and when he pulled away, he dropped to his knees before her. “Looks like you can use a hand.” He placed one of her feet on his knee and picked up the polish bottle.

  “You’re going to paint my nails?”

  “I am, and then I’m taking you to my favorite spot and we’re going to have lunch.” With painstaking perfection, he put two coats of polish on her toes.

  “You’re a pro.”

  “I’ve done it before.” He helped her to her feet and reached for the sweater she’d thrown over the back of the couch.

  “Sarah?” Why did her muscles tense when his ex was mentioned? Could she be jealous? Damn right she was. Sarah had once owned his heart.

  “No. My mom broke her hip once, and I polished her nails.”

  She put on her sandals and lifted her head to stare at him. “I bet your parents are proud of you.” She lowered her eyes to look at her stomach. “There’s no doubt it’s tough being a parent. I only hope that I can raise my child with the integrity and goodness you possess.”

  “You’re going to be a great mother.” He picked up the bag of food and moved to the door. “You ready?”

  “I’m excited. It’s our first date.” When he’d put her into bed last night, she wanted to invite him to stay but she didn’t want to press. She had no idea where they stood and what this whole thing was about. She’d watched him walk out the room but before the door closed, he told her he was looking forward to their date.

  “This thing between you and me is a bit backward.”

  “I’d say, but I’d be grateful for you no matter how crazy the circumstances.”

  He led her to the truck and helped her inside.

  Mr. Larkin raced over, waving his hands. “Did you get the cradle?”

  “That was from you?” Eden asked.

  “My mother was rocked in it. I spent time in that thing and so did my daughter and son. No grandkids, so you might as well put it to use.”

  She slid out of the truck and wrapped her arms around him and hugged as tight as she could. “Thank you so much. It’s so special.”

  “No lead paint. Thought you should know.”

  Thomas’s eyes grew wide. “I hadn’t thought about that.” He had a look as if he were considering every other surface in the house. “I painted everything but the spare room so no lead there either but we should double check just in case.”

  She stepped back and leaned on Thomas.

  It didn’t escape Peter’s eyes that Thomas swung an arm protectively around her.

  “You kids look good together.”

  Not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea and force an idea on Thomas, she said, “Oh, we’re—”

  “On our way to lunch,” Thomas finished. He lifted her back into the seat and closed the door. Peter patted Thomas on the back and smiled. The two men talked for a few minutes longer before he walked across the street and Thomas entered the truck.

  “What was that about?”

  “He was putting dibs on my big screen television in the back room in case I decided to convert it to a nursery.”

  “That will never happen.” She shook her head. “That’s your pride and joy. I’ve seen you talk about that room as if it were a child you were proud of.”

  She hadn’t considered what would happen once she’d had the baby. They were exploring their feelings for each other, but things would change once her child was born. Long-term, Thomas couldn’t sleep on his couch while she took up his bed. She’d eventually have to find a place for her and the baby to live. The pace of her heart picked up and the whoosh of blood filled her ears. She was running out of time to figure it all out.

  Thomas pulled onto the street and drove toward the mountains. “You’re quiet.”

  “Thinking about all I have to figure out, and how little time I have to do it.”

  “What’s to figure out?”

  “You and me. How a baby fits into the mix. Where I’ll live, and how I’ll support us when I have a part-time job. When the baby gets older who will watch him or her when I go to work?” She put her hands over her mouth and breathed in and out.

  He took a country road that wound up the mountain and stopped at the edge of a clearing. He killed the engine and turned
toward her.

  “You can stay with me. We’ll fix up the spare room for Rocky and as for you and me, let’s move through that a day at a time. All the world’s problems don’t need to be solved today. Okay?” He lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him.

  In his eyes, she saw an earnest man doing what he thought was right. She only hoped it was right for him as well.

  With the bag in his hand, he rounded the truck and opened her door. “This is my favorite place.” He grabbed a blanket from the truck bed and spread it at the edge of the overlook and helped her sit. Next, he laid out all the fixings for a picnic lunch down to the juice packs and a box of Good & Plenty.

  Looking at the view was like standing on the edge of the earth and seeing it for the first time. In the distance, every color was accounted for. The last of the aspens for which the town was named were turning gold. The forest was blazing with orange and red and yellow. The evergreens acted as the backdrop to the explosion of fall around them.

  “Turn around and look at me.”

  When she did, he snapped a picture of her with nature’s landscape in the background.

  “Beautiful.”

  She looked over her shoulder at the canyon. “It is. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  “I was talking about you.” He turned the camera to show her the photo.

  She hardly recognized herself. She was as big as a hippo, but there was a serene look in her eyes. If she didn’t know better, she’d say the woman in the picture was telling her everything would work out fine.

  “Let’s eat.” She opened the box of fried chicken and served them both. Thomas had thought of everything from wet wipes to a citronella candle that made the moment romantic and also kept the mosquitos from biting.

  After the meal was finished, they stood at the edge looking out at the world. From this perspective, anything was possible. He moved behind her and wrapped his hands around her stomach before nuzzling into her neck.

  “You’re breaking down the steel walls of my heart, Eden.”

  She turned to face him. “Your heart is too big to encase, Thomas. Let it out. I promise to protect it.” She lifted on tiptoes to kiss him. “Your heart is safe with me.” This was the kind of man she’d dreamed about. “I have no idea where this will go, but for right now, it’s perfect.”