Willow turned her thoughts to their conversation and Mick’s open sharing about his family life. Even though her family was very different, Willow recognized the vulnerability that surrounded his expression, and she was honored that Mick had chosen her when he’d bared his soul, even if it was just for a moment.
Grabbing the pitchfork, Willow began mixing the new chicken manure into the compost. She needed to quit thinking about Mick. After all, it had been several days since their short time together, and that’s all it would ever be. A nice moment shared with a stranger who needed some company and offered her something in return. Besides, Mick was probably on his way to Seattle by now, although she hadn’t heard any news. She had hoped Ruby would call with any new information of Mick’s departure, but her phone stayed silent, and Willow had to remind herself there wasn’t any reason for Ruby to call her about Mick.
Willow stabbed at the pile. She was so focused on working the manure that she didn’t hear her father come around the corner.
“You look pretty intent on doing that compost some harm,” her father said.
Willow jumped and straightened from her work.
Her father continued, “Listen, Willow. Would you have the time to run into town this afternoon? The battery on the tractor died, and I want to get it fixed, but my first priority is that back fence. I want to get to that before the snow flies. Shorty and I are going to work on it now. I don’t want any rustlers coming in through the back road.”
Willow leaned the pitchfork against the wall. “Sure,” she said. “I can kill manure any day of the week.”
Her father grinned. “You know what to get, right?”
Willow wiped her hands. “Yeah. You want an Exide Heavy Duty.”
“Yeah, but I’ll call ahead and have them set one aside so you don’t have to search. It should be waiting for you at the front of the store.”
With Pilot at her heels, Willow put the wheelbarrow back in the barn and grabbed her jacket before a quick step into the house for her keys. Once in the house, she washed her hands, but then smelled her clothes and hair. Should she shower or change? She laughed at herself. Why was she even worried about changing to go into the feed store? Before Mick came along, she wouldn’t have even considered it. Grabbing her keys, she hurried down the steps, calling Pilot, who jumped into Clementine.
Once in town, Willow drove to the window of the Jumpin’ Bean, but her focus wasn’t on coffee. Her gaze strayed to Bert’s Auto Repair. The bay doors were closed, and there was no sign of the Jag. A small sliver of sadness slipped under her skin.
It was better for Mick to be on his way. His presence brought up too many questions for which Willow didn’t have any answers. Turning from Bert’s, she focused on the coffee shack and the opportunity to visit with Ruby.
Pulling up to the Jumpin’ Bean, Willow grinned.
Ruby returned her smile and opened her window. “This is a nice surprise. What are you up to today?”
“Dad needs a new tractor battery. I thought I’d stop by to say hi.”
“Want anything?”
“Naaah. Just to say hi.”
“Just a second.” Ruby left the window and returned with a cup full of whipped cream. “This is for my favorite dog,” she said as she handed the cup to Willow.
Willow laughed as she passed the cup to Pilot, whose tongue went into action, licking the contents with gusto.
Ruby stepped back from the window and pointed behind Clementine. “Don’t look now, but Mr. Studs is coming this way.”
Willow blinked in curiosity. “Mr. Studs?”
“You know, Mr. New York City. We call him Mr. Studs because of those rocks he’s got stuck in his ears. Have you ever seen the like? They’re almost as shiny as he is.” Ruby giggled.
“You’ve seen him recently?” A bud of happiness opened within Willow.
“Yeah, he’s been by the last few mornings for an espresso. Double shot.”
“I guess I’d better get out of the way, so you don’t miss a customer.”
“Oh, I don’t think he’s here to see me,” Ruby whispered. “He’s moving to the passenger’s side of Clementine.”
Willow turned her head to see Mick standing at the window of the passenger door. A sense of reuniting with someone lost overcame Willow. Grinning, she reached across the seat of the truck and unrolled the window. “I thought you’d be on your way by now.”
“I did too,” Mick said. “But Bert had other ideas. He’s having to tear the Jag apart to figure out what’s wrong with it. He said he should know in a little while. He’s trying to fit it in between his usual customers.”
“What are you up to?” Willow asked. Just the few words she and Mick were sharing made her light-headed.
“I was just walking up and down the road to kind of get a feel for the town. I’m heading back to the room now.”
“Want a lift?”
“That’d be great!”
Before Willow could unlatch the door, Mick hopped into the bed of the truck.
Willow laughed while Ruby furrowed her brow.
“What is that all about?” Ruby asked.
“I made him ride in the back of the truck on the night I picked him up alongside the road.” She grinned at her friend, and in spite of her desire to hide her happiness at having Mick near, she could feel it spilling around her like a shower of flower petals.
“You didn’t.”
“I did.”
“Stranger danger?”
“Yep,” Willow said.
Ruby leaned close to Willow, and her eyes showed a serious look. “But he doesn’t appear to be a stranger anymore.”
“Maybe not,” Willow mouthed as hope soared to newer heights in spite of her best efforts to tamp it down. For days, she’d been hoping to see Mick again, and here he was.
Thoughts of Curtis scraped the surface of Willow’s mind, and she withered inside over her desire to see Mick. When had she wished to see Curtis with such eagerness? Shame colored her cheeks, but she pushed it away. Mick was nothing more than a companionable stranger, and it certainly didn’t hurt to be friendly. Besides, there was no ring on her finger, even if everyone in Sunrise Creek put one there.
“You’d better go. We’ll talk later,” Ruby said.
Ruby’s words brought Willow out of her thoughts, and with a final wave, Willow left the Jumpin’ Java and brought Mick back to Bev’s motel.
Once they got there, Mick opened his room with the key. “Do you have a few minutes to sit by the lake?”
Willow smelled her sleeve and gave Mick a worried look.
“What is it?”
“I’ve been cleaning the coop. I smell like chicken …”
Mick laughed. “I’ll sit downwind. C’mon.”
Willow grinned as she opened the door of the truck.
Willow and Pilot walked through Mick’s room when her phone rang. She stopped and sat on the bed near the nightstand before putting the phone to her ear as Missy, the cleaning girl knocked on his door. Mick let her in before moving toward the back of the room, looking out the window to give Willow some privacy.
After Willow’s phone conversation was over, Mick turned to face her. She held up her phone. “It was my dad. He reminded me to get some chicken feed, but I took care of that when I was in town last time.” She followed Mick out the back door toward the water.
They both lowered themselves into the lakeside chairs while Pilot settled between them. The smell of roasted coffee mingled in the pine-scented air, and the sound of the cleaning woman, Missy, working in Mick’s room sounded far away from the sun-drenched shore.
“I’ve lived here my whole life,” Willow said. “But I don’t get to see the lake every day. When I visit Ruby’s house, we spend some time near the shore, and I never get tired of it. It still takes my breath away.” Willow sighed into a sense of peace as she laid her head back on the chair. Everything felt right. Pilot was snoozing quietly be her side, and Mick was sitting with her, his presen
ce offering some sweet but unfamiliar solace as the autumn breeze rustled her hair.
“I’m starting to learn some landmarks,” Mick said. “This is Sunrise Lake.”
Willow raised her head. “Yep, it is.”
“And that’s Sunrise Mountain.” Mick pointed toward the easternmost mountain.
Willow laughed. “Nope. That’s Coyote Ridge.” She pointed to the mountain on the west side of the lake. “That’s Sunrise Mountain, because it greets the sun every morning.”
“The base of that mountain is where we ran into that trailhead,” Mick said.
Willow laughed again. “You’re catching on.”
“Have you eaten?” Mick asked.
Willow sat up as her earlier desire to see Mick turned into something more dangerous. Was this a date? “No. Just had my first cup of coffee before coming into town.”
“Then allow me to take you to breakfast,” Mick said. “You can pick the place and drive, and I’ll pay. How does that sound?”
Willow hesitated. What would people think? Everyone in Sunrise Creek would have an opinion about her spending time with a handsome stranger. There would be a lot of wagging heads and unhinged tongues. But the idea of pulling away from Mick and the morning they were sharing left Willow feeling torn, like a jagged edge of fabric. How could she turn down more time with him when it might be their last time together?
When she looked into Mick’s soft brown eyes, her decision was made. Someday soon, this man would be nothing more than a sparkling memory, and she wanted to live it to the fullest, so when the day came when he climbed into his fancy car and drove away, he would leave her with a smile.
Chapter 7
Mick grabbed his wallet on the nightstand as excitement over seeing Willow again pulsed through him. Ever since their morning walk along the lake, he’d been thinking of this woman, who complemented the rugged beauty of Sunrise Creek with her own soft allure. But caution ruled his feelings. Bert’s hard stare and cold manners as he and the mechanic talked over the engine of the Jag was a jarring reminder that Mick’s stay in Sunrise Creek was temporary and that Willow was marrying a local boy; even though Mick’s quick glance to Willow’s left ring finger didn’t produce the diamond he expected, and she had not mentioned an engagement. Maybe that was just one of the many things they could discuss at breakfast.
Moving into the bathroom, he began running a comb through his hair before staring at his reflection. He blinked and looked again, harder this time. His diamond studs were no longer attached to his ears. He had become so caught up in the beauty of the morning and Willow’s company that he hadn’t even missed them, but now a small shot of panic surged through him. During this whole trip, he’d left the earrings in because he was afraid of leaving them behind. When it looked as if he was going to be in Sunrise Creek for a couple of days, he had taken them out and placed them on the nightstand. He hated the way the local folks, Bert in particular, stared at them, and they were hard to sleep in.
Hurrying across the room, Mick checked the spot where he had placed them only to find it bare. He took a deep breath to shoot down the alarm that was building and focused his gaze before gently turning over the newspapers, Bert’s receipts for the tow, and other papers scattered on the nightstand. Nothing.
A slow thought began to burn. Willow was the only one who had been in his room, or maybe the cleaning girl. But Willow had sat right here, in the very spot where he’d placed the diamond studs. Would she take them? Shock pulsed through Mick like an electric jolt. Diamonds like that were rare in any circumstance, but probably nonexistent in a place like Sunrise Creek. They certainly would buy a lot of chicken feed or whatever else a desperate ranch might need. Disappointment, anger, and anxious misery surged through him.
Pulling open the door of his room, Mick rushed to the truck.
Willow turned and smiled, but her cheerful look faded. “What is it?”
“Turn out your pockets.”
“What?!”
“Turn out your pockets.” Mick’s voice grew urgent.
“What are you talking about?”
“My diamond studs are missing,” he growled.
“And you think I took them?”
“Well, you’re the only one—”
Before Mick could finish the sentence, Willow turned out her pockets and dumped the contents of her purse on the seat of the truck. “Knock yourself out,” she said as she stepped aside, giving Mick full access to her belongings.
Mick looked over Willow’s pockets before picking through the contents of her purse and checking the zippered compartments of her bag. Pilot watched with curious intent as he finished and moved away.
“I don’t have them,” Willow snarled as she stuffed her belongings back in her bag.
“Well, someone’s got them, and I know everyone’s talking about them, because Bert hasn’t talked about anything else since I’ve met him.”
Willow pursed her lips together for a moment, before giving a sarcastic laugh. “Only because he can’t figure out why a man would wear jewelry. No one around here would be caught dead in a pair of those. Trust me when I say your precious stones are safer here than in your New York City.” She pushed her purse aside as she scooted into the truck. “Enjoy your packaged donuts,” she said as she slammed the door.
Mick didn’t have any choice but to step out of the way as Willow turned the ignition and threw the truck in reverse. The sound of her tires crunching in the gritty parking lot dissipated, leaving him alone in the quiet autumn morning. Glancing across the street, he noticed the cold stare Bert sent his way.
Mick clenched his teeth and turned back to his room. Perhaps the cleaning woman had found them while he and Willow were enjoying their morning by the lake. Hurrying to the office, he asked Bev if he could speak to the maid who took care of his room.
A young, very pregnant woman hurried into the office, leaving her cleaning cart outside. “Yes, sir?” She cradled her stomach as she stood before him.
Mick looked into her fresh, innocent face with doe eyes. Her mid-length brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she was wearing a pair of jeans and a nurse’s maternity scrub top. He sucked in his breath. He couldn’t let her childlike appearance throw him. “I’m missing a pair of diamond earrings,” he said. “They were on the nightstand, and now they’re gone.” He stared down at the girl. “Have you seen them?”
Her eyes widened. “No, sir! I didn’t come across any jewelry in your room. I swear. I straightened the bed, and there were some papers on the nightstand. Perhaps they got jostled and the earrings fell onto the floor? I don’t know.” The girl appeared flustered. “Do you want me to come help you look for them?”
Mick shook his head. “No. But if I can’t find them, I’ll be filing a police report.”
The girl took in Mick’s meaning and returned his gaze with a cool look of her own. “That’s what I’d do if I were you,” she said. “Is there anything else, sir?”
“No,” Mick said. He gave Bev a hard look before returning to his room. He checked all around the bed and nightstand but found no sign of the diamond studs.
Why was it that everyone thought that what belonged to him was free for the taking? He remembered the mugging with fierce clarity. He’d been able to get a new driver’s license and credit cards, but his personal address and workplace were floating around where it didn’t belong, leaving him feeling vulnerable. Then he’d discovered Simone wasn’t his, either. Paul had stolen her right from his side. Wasn’t anything sacred?
Fear and frustration bubbled up. He was stuck in this place that was just as greedy as the abrasive streets of New York, but it masked that tendency with bright autumn mornings and a glorious wilderness.
He looked out the window of his room and stared toward Bert’s shop. The Jag was pulled into a brightly lit bay, where Bert had the entrails of the car scattered in organized chaos on the floor. Desperation clawed at him. What was he going to do? He paced his room for several minutes b
efore walking into the bathroom. Pulling out his shaving kit, he wondered if the stash of cash he had under the flap was still there or if that had been stolen, too.
Opening the flap, he found the cash tucked in its place and the diamond earrings glittering back at him. Mick blinked as the memory unfolded. He’d been tired of sleeping in his earrings because they hurt when he turned over on his side, and he never left them in his ears when he was home. He’d placed them in his shaving kit for safekeeping after feeling the nightstand wasn’t the best place for them. Mick rubbed his face as regret draped through him like a gray curtain. Within five minutes, he’d managed to offend everyone he knew in Sunrise Creek.
With a practiced move, Mick inserted each earring into an ear lobe. He needed to keep them close for his own peace of mind and so he wouldn’t hurl accusations to those who had befriended him.
Moving back into the bedroom, he looked out the window to witness a few lazy snowflakes meander through the air. What was this? Just a few minutes ago, it had been sunny, and even though the warmth held a tinge of fragility, it still held some promise. Now, within twenty minutes, the clouds were thickening and the promise had changed to something much more ominous.
Mick glanced across the street, praying the Jag would be put together and Bert would be pulling it out of the bay. Instead, the hood was up and the engine lay in pieces. If he could just get the car fixed, he would be able to escape this weather and a storm of his own making. But as the snow began to fall with purpose, Mick couldn’t deny there was more than the Jag that needed fixing.
Chapter 8
Willow took several slow breaths and pushed them deep into her belly before blowing them out between her lips. It was something Ruby had taught her when Willow’s mother was sick, and she needed to find inner calm. It still worked, even now, after being accused of theft.
Another breath. Pull in air. Push it out. The light turned green and Willow maneuvered Clementine into the feed store. Another deep breath. She didn’t want to appear rattled.
Diamonds And Denim (Country Brides & Cowboy Boots) Page 5
