Rocky Mountain Bride (Roberts of Silver Springs Book 4)

by Nadia S. Lee

  “Yes. Done for the week.” She smiled, trying to calm the hammering of her heart. It was so loud she was afraid he could hear it.

  “Great. You want to head out to get something to eat? You know, to celebrate surviving your first week at Roberts & Son?”

  She grinned. “It wasn’t that bad. And yes, let’s.” She grabbed her purse.

  The great thing about a small-town firm was she didn’t have to torture herself with uncomfortable shoes and outfits to impress anybody. She just had to be neat—business casual—and she could wear her favorite flats, and nobody cared.

  “So where are you taking me?” she asked.

  “We can hit one of the tourist bars.”

  “Is that where locals go?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “Then let’s try a local hangout.”

  He frowned, pursing his mouth briefly. Finally, he shrugged. “Okay.”

  Sam took her to a small bar not too far from the office. Not that anything in town was far from anything else. She loved it that she could walk everywhere, since the last thing she wanted to do was tool around in her Aston Martin. It tended to stick out like a poorly hammered nail.

  The bar was much smaller than she’d imagined. It had a counter that could seat ten—maybe eleven, if you squeezed—and a jukebox at the opposite end, along with a pool table.

  “Hey, Tommy.” Sam waved at the big, gruff-looking bartender with a neatly trimmed beard.

  “Hey. That must be Lina.”

  “Hi,” she said with a small waggle of her fingers.

  “What can I getcha?” Tommy asked.

  Lina looked at the menu. “No happy hour?”

  “Ma’am, every hour’s happy around here.”

  She laughed. “I’ll have a margarita.”

  “Scotch, neat,” Sam said.

  Tommy served them quickly, since the bar was empty. It was still early.

  Lina and Sam clinked their glasses. “To your awesome legal secretary work,” Sam said.

  She smiled. “Thank you. But it’s really because you spoke to your dad. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have hired me otherwise.”

  “You just needed a chance to shine, Lina.”

  The softly spoken words did more than make her heart flutter. They touched someplace inside her, where she harbored a fear that she wasn’t special, wasn’t good enough. They took the ugly thoughts and replaced them with something that made her feel warm and glowing from the deepest part of her soul. “Thank you, Sam,” she whispered through a constricted throat.

  “Ah, don’t mention it. Just doing what any decent guy would’ve done.”

  “No. Nobody else would’ve done it for me. I’ve…always lived under my sister’s shadow. I feel like this is the first time I’ve actually made an adult decision to pull away.” Her friends and acquaintances all knew about how she fared in her family. They all expected her to either get a clue and go to Harvard Law—because there “weren’t” any other law schools—or just marry some rich guy who could support her. “And I’m glad I have you on my side.” And she was, because he wasn’t like all the other people around her. He genuinely cared.

  Then, with sudden clarity, she realized that seeing Jared with her maid of honor hadn’t been a curse or failing of any sort, but a reprieve from fate. If she’d married him, she would’ve been doing exactly what everyone around her expected—marrying a guy whose basic function would have been to take care of her and pay for everything. Whatever she’d felt for Jared, it hadn’t been love. She recognized that now. She liked him—he could be witty and nice when he put his mind to it, but he’d never loved her…or even really respected her. They would’ve made each other miserable, and the marriage would’ve ended up in an ugly divorce, far worse than the aborted ceremony.

  If it hadn’t been for her fleeing Denver, she would’ve never run into Sam. She really liked him for being who he was—kind, patient and smart. And her sister had been a fool to throw him away because she’d rather hang on to her fast-paced, fancy life in Manhattan than someone with a genuine heart.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.

  “Um. Nothing,” she said quickly, dropping her gaze. “Just got lost in my thoughts.”

  She didn’t know how he felt about her. He was always unfailingly polite and friendly—maybe he felt responsible in a way, because he was the one who’d taken her in and helped her get a job. But that didn’t mean he felt the kind of tenderness for her that she did for him.

  Besides, no matter how many kind things he’d said, it was difficult for her to overcome a lifetime of living in her more brilliant, beautiful and vivacious sister’s shadow. And Lina didn’t know what it would take for her to overcome the fear that she would never measure up.

  Lina and Sam stayed quiet during their greasy burger dinner. Lina didn’t really know what to talk about, and her mind was full of conflicting thoughts and emotions. Sam didn’t say much either, probably occupied by some dispute one of the townspeople had with someone from another town over a land use problem. Lina wished she had someone to talk to, but her best friend was a backstabber, and it wasn’t something she could talk to one of Sam’s friendly cousins about.

  Despite her protest, Sam paid for the meal—insisted on it, really. “Come on now. Can’t have you paying for your own celebratory dinner.”

  “Okay, well… Next time it’s my treat.”

  “Deal. When I win the next case, you can buy me a drink.”

  The walk to the house was quiet until they were a block away. Sam suddenly said, “You want to watch a movie?”

  She hesitated. She’d wanted to be alone, but maybe that would only make her brood for the rest of the evening. “Sure. What do you have?”

  “How about The Accountant?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Does the hero spend ninety minutes doing double-entry bookkeeping?”

  He laughed. “No. It’s supposed to be more of an action flick. Molly said she liked it.”

  “She did?” Molly seemed fun and interesting. Highly doubtful she would tolerate a super-boring movie about a CPA. “Okay.”

  Once inside, Sam disappeared into the kitchen while Lina went to her room to dump her shoes and purse. She changed into a comfy shirt and yoga pants she’d picked up from a store in town a few days ago. No way she could live in her ill-fated honeymoon clothes forever. By the time she went down to the kitchen, Sam was gone, but she smelled fresh, buttery popcorn just as the microwave beeped. She pulled out the bag, tossed the hot snack into a bowl and brought out some juice and water for the table. Just as she was done, Sam came down in a stretchy white shirt and black lounging pants that did nothing to hide his lean, strong physique—from the broad shoulders to thick chest, tight abs and muscled legs.

  Lina licked the fleshiest part of her upper lip. She didn’t know any lawyer who looked better in fewer clothes than Sam. If the weather had been warmer, she would’ve found a way to go swimming with him.

  Her cheeks hot, she turned away. God, wasn’t mooning after him when he was doing her a favor, like…sexual harassment or something? Legally speaking, no jury would find it so, but her moral compass said she shouldn’t do anything to put him in an awkward spot. Besides, what would she do if she made a move and he said, “Lina, I don’t feel that way about you. I was just being nice, like I am to everyone”?

  Maybe there were some advantages to dating jerks after all—a big, fat maybe—since they wouldn’t have turned her down. On the other hand, they’d never made her tummy flip like Sam.

  Lina and Sam went to the couch and plopped down side by side. Somehow it seemed even smaller than when she’d first sat down here a little over a week ago. The heat radiating from Sam’s big body prickled over her skin, making her toes curl. She pulled a small afghan over herself, hoping for some kind of insulating effect, but it was no use. The afghan smelled like Sam, and she couldn’t help but bury her nose in it, feeling vaguely like a quietly desperate stalker…
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  …and not caring.

  The movie was surprisingly riveting, and you couldn’t go wrong with Ben Affleck. She’d always thought he was one of the most underappreciated actors in Hollywood. But as great as it was, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Working full-time at the firm had taken a lot out of her. Even though everyone—from Steve to the clients—had been great, she’d been so anxious to prove herself that she hadn’t slept all that well.

  Although she felt like a horrible movie companion, she knew it was a lost battle. As Ben Affleck rescued a nice, normal accountant from evil hitmen, she drifted off.

  * * *

  Sam watched out of the corner of his eye as Lina fell asleep. Her body slackened, and very slowly leaned into him until her head was resting against his shoulder. A blond lock fell across her face. He turned to her and pushed it away gently. As his fingertips brushed against her soft skin, a tingle of electricity traveled all the way through his body.

  Whoa.

  On the huge TV screen, Ben Affleck was doing something interesting—or so Sam surmised, since he sensed guns in his peripheral vision. But he couldn’t bother to watch when he had Lina nestled against him, her weight slight, and her scent female and sweet without even a hint of perfume. Her mouth parted, and she breathed softly, the long, dark eyelashes fanning the elegant slopes of her high cheekbones—all vulnerability and trust.

  Sam swallowed hard as something warm and unfamiliar made his heart ache with a longing he couldn’t name—and didn’t want to. It was so intense, yet so fragile, that he was afraid if he studied it for too long, it would drift and vanish like wood smoke on a breezy day. So instead, he played with the warm silk of her hair, letting it glide through his fingers over and over until the credits ended.

  Sam carefully shifted her so she was nestled against his chest, afghan and all, then bent and lifted her, one arm under her knees. He carried her up to her room. She didn’t stir once the entire trip.

  He placed her on the bed and arranged the afghan so that it covered her completely. She looked like a fairytale princess with her hair fanning out, one small hand open next to her face. Because she was fast asleep—and because he was fool—he pressed a tender kiss on her forehead before leaving.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Okay. I humored you and came fishing. But for real, why are we here?” Sam’s best friend, Charlie Hackman, ran a hand through short black hair that stuck up like a poorly maintained bird’s nest. “Shouldn’t you be in the office, drinking your enemies’ blood out of a tankard or something?”

  Snorting, Sam stared at the tranquil surface of the clear blue water. “Just wanted to fish, and I thought you’d like to join me.”

  “You know I hate fishing.” Charlie always used artificial lures, saying that it was barbaric to put a worm on a hook. But the artificial ones never worked as well as live bait.

  “Well, it’s peaceful out here.”

  “Other places are peaceful.”

  “I just wanted to be out of the office.”

  Charlie peered at Sam, his green eyes intense over the black frames of his glasses. He didn’t wear contacts, claiming they were full of irritants. “Ah jeez. Is this about that pretty secretary you and your dad have working for you now?”

  Yes. “No.”

  Charlie shook his head. “Weak. You may be able to fool twelve jurors, but not me. I’ve known you since preschool.”

  Sam made a face.

  “It’s been, like…what…two weeks?” Charlie said. “If she’s good at her job, ask her out.”

  “What’s the logic of that?”

  “If she’s good, you won’t be firing her. Right? That means she can’t sue you for wrongful termination.”

  Sam tossed his line into the water. “Thanks for the advice, but I think I have the legal aspect covered.” Charlie was a computer geek who made his money by hacking into secure systems so that the owners could check for weak points. The only reason he wasn’t pasty pale was because Sam regularly dragged him out of his den—er…home. And unlike most computer guys Sam knew, Charlie was wiry and strong. A total genetic jackpot.

  Charlie shrugged. “Somebody’s gotta give you advice, and I bet you didn’t ask your dad.”

  “Would you?”

  “Nope.” A quick shake of the head…followed by a nod. “Actually, yeah. He did stay married with three kids for how many years now? That’s gotta count for something.”

  “That doesn’t make him a love expert.” Sam sighed. “It’s just…I really like Lina.”

  “So what’s the problem? Does she not like you?”

  “I think she might, but that’s not a good thing.”

  Charlie gave him a look. “Is this going to be one of your lawyer gambits? Like when you try to convince people that the sky is blue but it’s better off red?”

  “Knock it off. She’s not thinking anything long-term in regards to this town.”

  Understanding dawned on Charlie’s face. “You think she’s gonna bail like her sister.”

  “This is no Manhattan.” As much as Sam loved Silver Springs, he also understood that young city women might not find it all that appealing. Jolie had made that abundantly clear.

  “You came back.”

  “I grew up here, and I had nothing in the Big Apple. She’s different. All her friends and family are there.”

  “So why isn’t she there?”

  “Been licking her wounds. Her ex-fiancé did a number on her.” What an idiot that guy was for not appreciating Lina.

  Charlie perked up. “Want me to avenge her honor?”

  “I don’t think—”

  “I can hack the guy’s social media accounts and post really embarrassing stuff.”

  Sam snorted a laugh. “That’s gonna get you into trouble. And I’m not abetting any illegal activity.”

  “If I get caught, which I won’t. But if I do, I’ll just say you had no idea.”

  “That’s perjury.”

  “Who’s gonna know?” Charlie leaned his pole against the gunwale and lay back, clasping his hands together to cradle his head.

  “Besides, she’s Jolie’s sister. It could be awkward.”

  “Could be. Or not. It’s not like you’re one who ended it.”

  Sam grunted.

  “Look, buddy, if you don’t make a move, somebody else will. This doesn’t seem like a situation where you should just wait and hope for the best.” Charlie looked up, his gaze following the fat white clouds. “If I had a thing for blue-eyed blondes, I’d totally go for her. Might anyway, since you said you aren’t gonna. Have you seen that body?”

  “Hey!” Sam bristled. He had seen her body, and it was a mighty fine one, with curves in all the right places. He’d even felt some of them last Friday, which was precisely why he’d been avoiding her since then, because he didn’t know what to make of his reaction.

  Charlie laughed. “You just proved my point, buddy.”

  “I proved nothing.”

  “What you gonna do? ‘Objection, your honor! Leading the witness!’”

  Sam rolled his eyes at his friend’s theatrical delivery. “You should’ve been an actor.”

  “Shoulda. I’ve got the mug for it.”

  “If they were casting ogres.”

  Charlie nodded comfortably. “I’d make a handsome ogre, the one who gets all the hot lady ogres.”

  Sam laughed at his friend’s lazy smile. To be honest, Charlie wasn’t bad looking, and when he’d hit a second spurt of puberty late in his senior year in high school, he’d finally gotten the height and rugged appearance that a lot of women found attractive. Molly had harbored a huge crush on him back then too, although he hadn’t seemed to notice. Charlie had been the geek that all the girls ignored for so long that he didn’t really know what to do when a woman tried to hit on him.

  “Anyway, ask her out. Who knows? It might lead to a forever kind of love, in which case you’ll stop asking me to fish.” Charlie shuddered.

  Sam s
cowled. Having been an excellent student of English lit, he’d read what poets had said about love, but he knew such hyperbolic feelings did not exist. Even if they did, they didn’t last. His parents loved each other, and it was a steady, lasting feeling built upon mutual respect and admiration. What Sam felt for Lina was anything but steady.

  The last time he’d let a woman dazzle him, he’d ended up with a broken engagement.

  On the other hand, he couldn’t stand the idea of some other man from Silver Springs—or anywhere else, for that matter—dating Lina.

  Sam stared at the placid water, feeling singularly un-tranquil. It was time he made a decision and came up with a plan to make it happen.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lina went to the store to grab some steak for dinner. Sam had left the office after lunch, and she wanted to do something nice to surprise him.

  Is that it?

  Not really. She talked back to the little voice in her head that never let her lie to herself. Sam had been avoiding her all week…ever since she’d fallen asleep watching the movie. She didn’t think it was because she’d upset him. She’d explained her nodding off had had nothing to do with his choice of the film, but rather her being more tired than she’d thought. Sam had nodded and said, “I understand.”

  And she hadn’t sensed any hint of irritation or anger.

  On the other hand, why had he avoided her the whole week, then? Roberts & Son wasn’t like Pearce Vogel Lott. It took a Herculean effort to evade the only secretary in the firm with only two lawyers. Then there was the fact that they lived together for the moment, but he left every morning before she woke up and came back after she’d gone to bed.

  “Wow, that’s a huge steak!”

  Lina almost jumped at Molly’s loud voice. She was with her cousin Jackson, who Lina was certain was called Jack. But there were lots of cousins. She’d run into most of them either at the office or Books ’N Beans when she stopped by for lunch. It was a little hard to keep up.

  “Hi,” Lina said.

  “Is that all for you? It looks like you could use it as a weapon.”

  “I’m buying it for Sam too.” Lina cleared her throat. “I’m cooking.”