Rocky Mountain Home

by Hayes, Cassie

  Tension and the strong odor of freshly cut onion filled the air between them. Zach’s eyes watered from the fumes — even Mike sniffed a few times.

  “So spill all the details,” she finally said. “Tell me about her. She doesn’t seem your type.”

  He smiled. Good, they were getting back into friendship mode. Maybe she was mad at someone else and he just happened to be the closest person to take it out on.

  “That’s kind of the point. It was recently pointed out to me I haven’t had the best luck with my so-called type. No matter how much I like my type, my type doesn’t seem to feel the same for me.”

  Mike paused, staring at the onion she’d just murdered. Swiping an arm across her eyes, she murmured, “Stupid onions.”

  “No kidding,” he agreed, wiping his own watering eyes. “Can you switch to rutabagas or something? I’m dying over here.”

  With a final sniff, she dumped the onions in the pot and grabbed a white and purple orb.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “A rutabaga, dorkus malorkus!”

  He ducked, narrowly avoiding the chunk of carrot she lobbed at his head. And just like that the mysterious tension between them eased.

  “So besides meeting the hottest woman on the planet,” Mike said, “how was the rest of your trip?”

  It was Zach’s turn to avoid meeting her eye. He hadn’t officially accepted their offer — he wanted to talk to Spike and Amy about it first — but he couldn’t imagine anything that would prevent him from taking the job. It suited him perfectly and would get him out of Silver Springs. Until he made a firm commitment, he didn’t want to jinx his chances by talking about it.

  “Fine,” he said, then popped the last of his muffin in his mouth.

  “That’s all you’re going to give me? Fine? Don’t you think I deserve more than that?”

  For a brief flash, old emotions rose to the surface and all Zach could think was, You deserve everything. No! He couldn’t think that way anymore. Mike had made it clear they’d never be anything more than friends, and he was fine with that. Really, he was. It was time to move on — possibly with Deidre — and thoughts like those only stood in the way.

  “The interview went well. It’s a great organization that does a lot for kids in need. Nothing’s been decided though. They had other candidates to interview.”

  It wasn’t a lie, technically. He hadn’t decided if he’d accept their offer, so they said they’d keep interviewing in case he declined. The job was his if he wanted it. He had a week to make a decision.

  Mike laid the knife on the cutting board and gave him a fierce look that would have brought him to his knees a few days earlier. “I said it before, I’ll say it again. They’d be idiots not to snap you up.”

  “Thanks, Mike. That means the world to me.”

  He half-expected her to go back to chopping vegetables, but she continued staring at him, the heat in her gaze softening into something else — something…warm. That warmth seeped into him, leaching into the very fiber of his soul.

  What’s happening?

  “I mean it, Zach,” she continued, her voice soft and vulnerable. “You’re the best man I know.”

  Mike’s eyes finally freed his, but then dropped to his mouth. Her lips parted slightly, sending shockwaves of desire through him. Before he could thoroughly process what it might mean, her eyes flicked back up to meet his.

  “You should have everything you’ve ever wanted.”

  Thank goodness he was seated, because the breathy quality of her voice would have made his knees buckle if he’d been standing. As it was, he was having a hard enough time breathing, much less thinking coherently.

  Mike’s hand slid slowly across the counter toward his. The only thing he could do was watch it, completely transfixed. He felt like a deer in headlights.

  Seriously, what’s happening!

  “Zachy! Time to hit those hot springs you told me about!”

  Deidre’s sing-song voice pierced the connection between Zach and Mike like a needle popping a balloon. Mike snatched her hand away and spun around. Zach simply sat like a statue, utterly stunned.

  When Deidre rounded the corner into the kitchen wearing a very skimpy white bikini with nothing but a sheer pink wrap around her hips, Mike smiled, but to Zach, it looked as if it actually hurt her to do so.

  “Oh,” Deidre said when she saw them together. Her gaze slid from one, to the other, then back to the first again. “I didn’t realize you were still here…Mike, was it? That’s an odd name for a girl. Did your parents name you that?”

  “No.”

  Deidre blinked at the curt answer. “Um, okay.”

  The women stared at each other for a minute, sizing each other up silently. Finally, Mike broke the impasse.

  “I should go.”

  Without another word, she walked out of the room, leaving Zach to stare after her. Deidre eased up next to him, so close he could smell her perfume, but he barely noticed. All he could think was, Mike never wears perfume.

  7

  The Silver Springs Blues Festival was no backwater, podunk concert series, as Mike had imagined. From the looks of the mass of exhibitor booths being set up along Riverbend Park’s winding walking path, the several semi trucks loaded with equipment, and construction crews building two separate stages, the festival looked to be a certifiable Big Deal. And that didn’t even include the slate of big-name acts scheduled to appear.

  “Mike! Over here!”

  Mike looked around the bustling greenspace and spotted Marc Ransome waving at her from a tented area that appeared to be the event’s headquarters. She’d thought about canceling on him, just to teach him a lesson, but three things stopped her: First, she’d given her word; second, the money was good; and third, she loved blues music. From Muddy Waters to Susan Tedeschi to Robert Johnson to the king himself, B.B. King, she was a sucker for the hypnotic spell of a bass line and the ubiquitous “she done me wrong” lyrics.

  “Wow, this is really impressive, Marc,” she said, honestly meaning it.

  “Thanks!” He leaned in for a half-hug and a peck on the cheek. “Wait till it opens. Day after tomorrow, every square inch of Riverbend Park will be crawling with humanity.”

  Mike chuckled. “That should be your motto.”

  “Hey, let me give you the grand tour.” Marc handed a clipboard to a young woman and wound Mike’s arm around his. “As you can see, those are our two stages. They’ll alternate, giving each act time to set up while the other is playing.”

  “Smart.” Mike had been to plenty of multi-artist concerts that were set up the same way, but following in their footsteps was smart.

  “And over there you can see the Honeycomb.”

  Mike looked where Marc pointed, but only saw a bunch of green portable toilets being delivered. “Honeycomb?”

  Marc grinned. “Yeah, that’s what we call the maze of ‘honey pots.’”

  Mike wrinkled her nose. Nothing could be farther from honey!

  “I’m proud to say we have one hand-washing station for every three toilets,” Marc said, growing serious. “Industry standard is one per four.”

  “Cool,” Mike said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but all this talk of toilets had skeeved her out.

  “Want to see the exhibitor section?”

  “Please!”

  Marc laughed and guided her down the park’s meandering walkway. Most of the booths wouldn’t be set up until the morning the festival started, he explained, but a few intrepid companies had started early.

  “You know I almost bailed on you,” Mike confessed, not meeting Marc’s gaze. She could feel him gawk at her though. “Asking a woman out on a date, when your intentions were anything but romantic, is just plain rude. I figured it would serve you right for playing me like that.”

  Marc gulped so loudly, the people setting up the booth next to them looked up. “What changed your mind?”

  Mike gave him a shrewd glance. “I figured
it would make me an even bigger jerk than you were.”

  At least he had the grace to look ashamed. Down deep, Mike didn’t really hold a grudge very easily, but she couldn’t resist taking him down a notch.

  “You’re right,” Marc admitted. “That was a douchey move. I’m really sorry, Mike.”

  She rolled her eyes as she smirked. “Whatever, just don’t do it to anyone else. They might not have built up the walls I’ve developed over the years.”

  The truth was, Mike’s walls weren’t that strong. She’d wrongly assumed she’d be safe from users in her own home town. Some would argue she should have known better, but she’d finally come to realize that “home” should feel safe. If she could prevent one more such incident — even if she’d never be on the receiving end — all the better.

  Marc grew solemn. “Scout’s honor.” He even held up three fingers in a proper salute.

  “Hey, sis!”

  Spike poked his head out from the booth Mike and Marc were passing. Mike started to grin at her twin, but faltered when she saw Zach and his new lady friend, Deidre, helping.

  “Oh…hey.”

  “Don’t sound so excited,” Spike teased.

  “Mike, is it okay if I leave you here?” Marc asked. “I have about eight million things to do, but I don’t want to strand you.”

  Mike smiled and patted his arm. “Go get to work, slacker.”

  He looked genuinely relieved, and any lingering animosity left with him. He was an idiot, but he was also a guy, so he had an excuse. In the end, she decided to believe that he was an okay guy, overall.

  “What are you doing here, Mike?” Amy asked. “Did you come to help us set up?”

  Zach answered before Mike could. “Mike’s the emcee. Isn’t that amazing?”

  After the previous afternoon’s mortifying interaction, Mike hadn’t been sure she’d ever be able to look Zach in the eye again, but once her gaze flicked up to his, she was caught in his orbit. She tried to tamp down her emotions, to pretend she was feeling a natural reaction to finding what basically amounted to a love box, but her traitorous heart insisted otherwise. With each thundering thump in her chest, it told her she was in love. A deep flush crept up her chest all the way to her hairline.

  “I heard,” Amy said, running around the table to give Mike a big hug. “That’s fantastic!”

  “Thanks,” Mike mumbled into Amy’s neck, holding on for a second too long. Once she released her though, she’d have to face Zach again.

  Amy must have sensed something was wrong. She hooked her arm through Mike’s and squeezed tight as they turned to face Spike, Zach and Deidre.

  Deidre. Hateful name.

  Mike instantly regretted the petty thought. The woman seemed nice enough — at the very least, she was not even remotely hateful. No, that was just jealousy popping up to make her act like a fool. As if she needed the help.

  “You guys are here early,” Mike said, carefully avoiding Zach’s hypnotic gaze. “The festival doesn’t start for a couple of days.”

  “We thought we’d beat the rush,” Spike said as he unwrapped an eye-catching poster of a group of skiers ripping up a course.

  Mike’s gut cramped at the photo — an unexpected reminder of all she’d lost. Her entire life had revolved around skiing for so long, she didn’t know anything else. For a brief moment, just a few days, she’d thought she might have found a new focus — Zach — but that had worked out even worse than her career.

  “Besides, Amy and I have plans tomorrow,” Spike continued. “Right, babe?”

  Amy sighed and leaned her head on Mike’s shoulder. “If you insist.”

  “What plans?” Mike knew exactly what was happening tomorrow, but every member of the Roberts family had been sworn to secrecy — upon pain of death by Spike’s own hand.

  “I’ve finally agreed to try that dumb rock wall again,” Amy groused. She didn’t sound happy about it, but judging by the way she looked at Spike, Mike had a feeling she’d be overjoyed by the time she reached the top of that wall.

  “Zach, where should I put this?” Deidre pressed the length of her body against Zach to get his attention. It worked.

  “Huh? What?”

  He looked dazed when he dragged his attention from Mike. Deidre frowned and shot a glance at Mike, then smiled sweetly up at him.

  “This poster. Where should I put it?”

  I’ll tell you where you can put it, Mike thought, kicking herself immediately. Stop that!

  “Oh, um…ask Spike,” Zach answered before turning back to Mike. “Are you going to get to hang out with the musicians?”

  Mike smiled shyly. As far as she could recall, she’d never smiled shyly, yet here she was…smiling shyly.

  “I really have no clue. Marc said he’d walk me through it tomorrow night over dinner, if I was worried.”

  Zach’s face clouded over, and Mike wasn’t the only one to notice. Deidre looked between them for a moment, then stomped off toward the Honeycomb. An ugly feeling of delight swelled inside Mike.

  What’s wrong with you? She’d never reveled in another person’s suffering, so why was she doing it now? She’d never seen that side of herself, and it wasn’t something she cared for. Not at all.

  Understanding washed over Mike. Perhaps her feelings for Zach were genuine, but the fact of the matter was, he was dating another woman. She’d had her chance with him and she’d blown it. For ten fricking years!

  No, she refused to allow her happiness in life to hinge on a man, even one as wonderful as Zach. As much as she wanted to be with him, she needed to focus on something else to fill that empty hole in her soul skiing had left behind. She needed a purpose. A purpose that didn’t revolve around finding, landing or keeping a man. Her life was hers for the living. And she needed to live it for herself alone.

  I just wish I wasn’t alone.

  * * *

  “Come on, Mike,” Amy said, turning them away from the RMA booth. “I have more posters in my car.”

  Zach stared after them for far too long, before facing Spike. “Tomorrow’s going to be a big day. You sure you’re ready?”

  Spike finished hanging a poster before turning to his partner. “Man, I’ve been waiting for this day for six months! I just worry whether she’s ready. Amy’s been through the wringer.”

  That she had. Every day, Zach was more and more impressed with Spike’s choice of partners. “She’s a keeper, that’s for sure. I’m just glad you didn’t screw it up.”

  Spike laughed. “Are you kidding? No way, no how. I’m cooked, my friend. I can’t wait to make her my wife.”

  As Zach had watched their relationship blossom over the last several months, he’d been thrilled for both of them, but recently — after Mike’s return, if he was being honest — their profound love had brought him a fair bit of pain, because he didn’t have it in his own life.

  “So…” Spike said, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at Zach. “Deidre seems nice. Are you bringing her tomorrow?”

  Zach erupted in a coughing fit. It hadn’t occurred to him to invite her to Spike’s proposal to Amy. How would it look to invite a woman he barely knew to such an event? How would she interpret such an invitation? Of course, he was the idiot who’d invited her to Silver Springs for the long weekend.

  “I…uh…well, I don’t think…um…”

  Spike laughed. “Chill, bro. I’m sure a woman like her would rather lounge at the hot springs than go to some stranger’s engagement party anyway.”

  Zach hoped that would be the case. He didn’t want to give Deidre the wrong impression. She would no doubt enjoy the hot springs more than some stinky climbing gym with people she didn’t know. Besides, Mike would be there. Then Spike’s words sank in.

  “What do you mean, ‘A woman like her?’”

  “You know, a girly girl. A princess. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like you two have much in common, but I have to hand it to you for going for it. Talk about the polar opposite of Mike.”


  “Shh!” Zach scanned the area to make sure Mike wasn’t nearby.

  “Dude, are you kidding me with that?” Spike sighed and shook his head like he was disappointed or something.

  “What?”

  “You’re acting like you’re back in high school, afraid the girl you like might find out.”

  That stung, especially since he’d tried so hard to not be that guy. Still, he felt defensive. “So?”

  “So…so what if she finds out you liked her back when we were teenagers? Big whoop-dee-do.”

  “I just don’t want her feeling uncomfortable.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. Zach didn’t want to expose his heart that much, only to have her trounce on it. Yet… His mind kept returning to the strange moment they’d shared the day before. It had almost seemed as if she’d been about to tell him something that would change both their lives forever.

  Wishful thinking, dorkus malorkus.

  Spike rolled his eyes, but thankfully dropped the subject. “You’re still going to remove all the handholds from the top of the climbing wall, right?”

  Zach slapped his best friend on the shoulder. “Relax, bro. I’ve got it covered. Trent’s going to let me in to do it tonight.”

  “Except one. You have to leave one at the very top, remember.”

  Spike’s sudden nervousness made Zach smile. He knew Spike wasn’t nervous about asking Amy to marry him; he was nervous what her answer would be. The poor woman hadn’t had an easy life, especially where men were concerned, and Spike had been very careful to let her set the pace of their relationship. The fact she’d agreed to climb the very wall Spike had rescued her from spoke volumes about her trust in her soon-to-be-fiancé.

  “Dude, she’s going to say yes.”

  “Who’s going to say yes?” said a woman behind him.

  Zach spun around to find Deidre standing in front of him. He grinned at her, but she only gave him a halfhearted smile in return. Strange, she’d been grinning practically nonstop since they’d met.

  “My partner here is going to propose to his girlfriend tomorrow,” Zach explained, then realized by doing so, he’d have to invite her. “Do you…want to come?”