“Yes. More than I’ve had with anyone else, to be honest. It seems to be going so smoothly that it’s a little too good to be true.” The thought had crossed Bernie’s mind more than once. There had to be something wrong. Relationships were never this easy, were they?
“You know, that’s often how it is when it’s the right person. You just naturally fit together, the way you are, so it’s easy,” Maddie said. A moment later, she added, “He’s coming to the wedding, too. I’ll have to make sure you’re seated together. Maybe you’ll be next!”
“For a wedding? I can’t even imagine. That seems way too far off in my future.”
“One never knows. I look forward to going to your wedding one day!”
“I’m glad you’re so optimistic that there will be one,” Bernie said.
“Well, of course there will be. If not David, then someone else. But I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the two of you.”
Chapter 11
The rest of the day flew by and before Bernie knew it, it was four o’clock. It was also Thursday and a group of them usually went to the restaurant after work for pizza and team trivia. Jaclyn and Simon were always the first ones there and saved one of the bigger tables for their group. Bernie was checking her calendar to get organized for the following day when a commotion in the hall got her attention. A moment later, Mr. and Mrs. Weston walked into the room.
“Look who’s here to see you!” she announced proudly. Kelsi came in right behind her, wheeling a double stroller with two cute babies in it.
“Willow and Victoria were bored and wanted to come visit!” Kelsi said as she went around the room and hugged everyone hello. Bernie walked over to the babies to get a closer look. They were both half asleep but were starting to blink in confusion at the sounds of multiple people talking. Kelsi had them dressed in the most adorable outfits. And Kelsi looked great herself. Most of her baby weight was gone. Her hair was shiny and her skin glowing, but her eyes gave away that she was utterly exhausted.
“How are you doing?” Bernie asked her.
“Oh, great, wonderful! Couldn’t be better. Well, except for lack of sleep, of course. I’ve never been so sleep-deprived in my life! But, I’ve already joined a mother of twins support group, in which I’m the youngest person by far. Most of the women there didn’t naturally have twins. But they’ve all said the first year is the worst and it will get easier after that.”
“Nice socks, sis,” Wade said as he came out of his office and gave Kelsi a hug.
“What are you talking about?” Kelsi asked as she looked down at her feet and then laughed. “See, that’s what I mean. Totally sleep-deprived. One pink and one purple sock. It’s ridiculous.”
“No one is looking at your feet, honey. Just at those cute babies of yours,” her mother assured her.
“I suppose you’re all going to trivia tonight,” Kelsi said as she glanced around the room.
“We are,” Wade confirmed. “But Kelsi, you don’t like trivia. We used to invite you all the time.”
“Oh, I know. And I love being home with my babies. It’s just an adjustment. But I am so looking forward to your wedding. That is going to be my first social outing and I can’t wait.”
“Will that be the first time you use a sitter for the babies?” Lily asked.
Kelsi nodded. “Sort of. One of the mothers in the twin group is letting me borrow her nanny. So the babies will be with us at the wedding, but the nanny will be there to help. So I can play a little! I can’t wait to dance, and to eat. I hear there’s going to be a pasta station!”
One of the babies started to cry and then a moment later the other one chimed in. “Speaking of food, that’s what happens. One cries and wakes up the other one. And that is why I don’t sleep. Good to see you all. I need to go feed these two.” Kelsi wheeled the babies out and Mr. and Mrs. Weston followed. Just like that, the room was quiet again.
“Cody is going to meet us tonight for trivia,” Lily said as she sat back down at her desk. Bernie did the same and Wade disappeared back into his office.
“Melissa is, too, and Maddie said that she and Wade are both coming. Vivian is going to have dinner with Violet and Sadie. We should have a good team. Oh, and Jack said he’d try to make it.”
* * *
An hour later, they were all eating pizza at the restaurant and getting ready to start playing team trivia. The restaurant had trivia every Thursday night and ran a buy-one get-one free pizza special to bring people in. It was a great deal and always crowded with families having pizza and groups playing trivia in the bar. The top three winners at the end of the night took home gift certificates to use at the restaurant on their next visit.
“Did you get that basement window taken care of?” Jack asked Melissa. Bernie sat in the middle between the two of them. Jaclyn was sitting next to Melissa and watched the exchange with interest.
“Yes, I did. The window guy came out first thing Monday morning. He thought it was a strange break, too. Said it didn’t look like anything an animal or a storm would do, but the winds were really bad so that’s our best guess.”
“That must have been scary. But at least you know your alarm works well,” Bernie said.
“True. And I’ve been taking self-defense classes, too. Learning karate, which is actually pretty good exercise and shooting lessons, too. Do you know how to shoot?” Melissa asked.
Bernie shuddered at the thought. “No. I’m terrified of guns, to be honest.”
“Well, I don’t like them, either. But I do feel safer knowing how to handle one, in case I ever need it for protection.”
Not for the first time, Bernie wondered what she might need protection from.
“How are you liking it here in Riston, dear? Do you find it very different from Boston?” Jaclyn asked Melissa.
Melissa laughed. “It’s so different. I lived in Charlestown, right outside of the city. I did love it there, but it’s very much a city. I lived in the Navy Yard neighborhood, by the water, and there was very little green there, lots of cement. Boston is a great city, and easy to walk around. I had a car but hardly ever used it when I lived there. I really love Riston, though. It’s beautiful here. The air is so fresh and the grass so green, and the mountains take my breath away. There are no mountains in Boston.”
“I went there once. Many years ago. I remember it fondly,” Jaclyn said.
“I do get a little homesick, especially for the great Italian food in the North End and the pastries. I miss the cannoli most of all.”
“What’s cannoli?” Jack asked.
“Heaven on a plate.” Melissa smiled. “It’s an Italian wafer cookie that is rolled into a tube and filled with a sweet, creamy whipped ricotta filling topped with chocolate chips or nuts. Maybe I’ll try to find a recipe and see if I can make them one of these days.”
“I’d be happy to be a guinea pig to taste test them,” Jack offered.
Melissa laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Their waitress cleared the table just as trivia was about to start and the first question was called. Jaclyn was the team’s official scorekeeper and had her pencil ready to jot down their answer on the slips they would hand in.
Wade got the table’s attention and repeated the question. “Okay, everyone, what’s the longest river in the world?”
Simon, Jack and Cody all answered at the same time. “Amazon!”
“That’s what I’m thinking too. They always start us off with an easy one. Ladies, do you agree?”
“Sounds good to me,” Maddie said.
“Me, too,” Bernie agreed.
“The guys always know geography questions,” Lily said.
“I thought of it, but wasn’t sure,” Jaclyn said.
“I knew it, but they beat me to it,” Melissa said. “I like history, and there’s a globe in the shop. I should make a point to look at it before trivia from now on!”
For the next two hours, they debated all kinds of questions to settle on t
he best team answers. Halfway through, when the scores of the teams were announced, Bernie was surprised to see that a team she wasn’t familiar with called The Dixie Chicks was in third place, right behind them.
“That must be The Dixie Chicks, those three brown-haired girls at the bar,” Melissa said.
Bernie looked to where she was gesturing and was surprised to see that one of the girls was David’s ex, Lindsey. She’d never seen her in here before on trivia night. She hadn’t seen Lindsey in a long time. She really was a pretty girl, with her slim figure and long shiny brown hair. Bernie remembered David saying that he usually dated petite brunettes. She wasn’t usually insecure about her appearance. She knew that most people considered her attractive and she was grateful for it. But she really was the complete opposite of Lindsey in that department. So far, David hadn’t seemed to mind, though. And he had made it seem like he was completely done with Lindsey. It just threw her for a moment to see her here and seeing all the attention she and her friends were getting from different men at the bar. She told herself she had nothing to worry about and focused her mind on the game again.
They didn’t win, but they came in second place, which was good for fifteen dollars off their bill the next time they came in. After they all chipped in to pay the check, Bernie went to the ladies’ room. She was in a stall when she heard several girls come in and then a familiar voice—so familiar, that she stayed in her stall.
“So, how are things really going with you and David? Do you think there’s a chance you will get back together? I heard he was dating someone.”
“That girl whose boss won the auction? Please. I’m not worried about her. David will come to his senses. I talked to him just yesterday and he told me to come by soon to catch up. Oh, and he’s been offered a huge promotion, an opportunity at a different hospital that will double his salary. Can you imagine how nice that would be?”
“Wow. You’d have to move, though. Would you mind?” the other girl asked.
“Are you kidding? It’s Spokane, which isn’t far from here, and we could start a family right away. I have a cousin who lives in Spokane and she said the country club there is divine. No, I wouldn’t mind at all.” She laughed, and then added, “All in good time.”
“Well, good luck with that. And thanks for letting me borrow your lipstick. Are you sure this color looks okay on me?”
“You look fabulous. Now let’s get back out there and talk to some cute men.”
As soon as they exited the ladies’ room, Bernie took her time washing her hands so she wouldn’t be too close behind them. She wasn’t sure what to think of what she’d just heard. Lindsey obviously wanted to get back together with David. He had said he wasn’t interested in that but if not, why was he talking to her and sharing information about a potential job offer. That didn’t make sense to Bernie. And if it was true, was he actually considering moving to Spokane?
If so, Bernie didn’t see things going much further between them because she had no interest in leaving Riston. Her job and all the family she had left, her brother Jack, were both here. But, given what David had said about Lindsey, Bernie doubted if any of it was true.
Chapter 12
Friday morning around eleven, Carl and his wife Erin stopped by the office after they checked out. Wade was chatting with Lily and Bernie about an upcoming event when they walked in and addressed them all.
“I just wanted to thank you all again for a wonderful stay and great attention to detail. Dani may have saved my life by finding me as quickly as she did, and my wife and I both appreciated the fruit basket you sent. We put that gift certificate to good use in the restaurant. Great food, by the way. We’ll definitely be coming back and I’ll spread the word.”
“We’re very happy to hear that. Thank you for stopping in,” Wade said.
“Oh, and I was impressed with your hospital, too. In fact, I liked that ER doc so much that I tried to recruit him to come work for me. It’s a great offer, but I haven’t heard back from him. I think he likes it here. Not that I blame him. Well, goodbye all!”
“Thank you!” Erin added.
Bernie watched them go and realized that Lindsey must have talked to David after all, and for some reason he told her about the offer. Was everything else Lindsey said true, too? Was there a chance that she might reconcile with David? It was a depressing thought and she tried to convince herself it was probably unlikely as well. She forced herself not to think about it and to focus on work, instead.
* * *
When she pulled up to David’s house, the hint of doubt threatened to surface again. His house and its location were stunning. It wasn’t a large house, but it was striking with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlooked the water. The house itself was built into the side of the mountain and propped up by stilts. Stairs led down to a small dock and a motorboat that sat on a boat lift, a few feet above the water. There was also a wraparound, screened-in porch that Bernie thought must be heavenly to relax on and let the breezes blow by.
She grabbed her bag out of the back seat. She’d brought a bottle of wine, a six-pack of beer and a bag of fudgy brownies from Miranda’s bakery at the ranch. She knocked on the front door and it opened seconds later. David pulled her in for a hug and a quick kiss hello.
“I’ll take that.” Bernie handed him the bag and he peeked inside.
“Thank you. Especially for the brownies. They look great. Come on in.”
He led her into the kitchen where he set down the bag and put the beer into the refrigerator.
“Can I pour you a glass of wine? I was just about to open a beer.”
“Sure, I’d love one.” He opened the wine and poured her a glass. After he got a beer for himself, he gave her a tour.
“These A-frame style houses are popular on the lake. They are inexpensive to build and to heat and for a lot of people, these are second homes, not their primary one.”
Bernie looked up at the soaring cathedral ceiling that was over the living area, and the dark wood beams. It was rustic and contemporary at the same time.
“There’s a second floor above the kitchen and den, that’s where the two bedrooms are. When the weather’s nice, I spend most of my time out here.” He opened a slider off the living room that led to the screened-in porch. Bernie stepped out for a minute, and the cool air whipped across her face and she laughed.
“This is beautiful, but I think I’d definitely enjoy it more in the summer.”
“Come on back inside. I’ll take you upstairs.”
Bernie followed him upstairs where there was a guest bedroom and a master bedroom, both with stunning views of the water.
“It almost feels like we’re on a boat. When I look out the window, all I see is water,” Bernie said.
“I know. That’s why I built here. I love the mountains but the water is what draws me, and this is the best of both worlds.”
Bernie caught a whiff of something delicious. “Something smells amazing…what is it?”
“One of the few things I know how to make. Spaghetti Bolognese. My mother showed me how to make it years ago. It’s basically meat sauce with wine and diced vegetables. It’s pretty good if I do say so myself.”
“It’s so peaceful here. You must love it when you come home from a long day at work.” Bernie could picture him relaxing on the porch or in the warmer weather, taking the boat out for a spin.
“It is. I’m very happy here.”
Bernie felt something brush against her leg and looked down to see a petite Siamese kitten with pretty blue eyes looking up at her.
“This must be Buttercup.” She reached down to pet the cat. Buttercup allowed it for a moment before she ran to David.
“The one and only.” David scooped up the small cat, and she started to purr and rub her face against his chin.
“She’s super cute.”
“She’s a good girl. Most of the time,” he said as he set her down and she raced off down the stairs. They followed cl
ose behind and went into the kitchen.
“I’ll give the sauce a stir, and then we can relax and watch the sunset over the water.”
A few minutes later, Bernie settled next to David on his oversized, black leather sofa, and they caught up on their week while the sun moved across the water and the sky turned gorgeous shades of purple and red.
“I never get sick of this,” he said at one point as the sky looked especially dramatic.
“I wouldn’t either. It’s just beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it. Lindsey never did. She thought I should sell this place and move closer to downtown and the hospital. She believes in Bigfoot and convinced herself that she got a glimpse of him one night while she was waiting for me on the porch.”
“She thought she saw Bigfoot? How funny.” Bernie thought of Kelsi who believed just as strongly but was excited to try and see him.
“I’m sure it was just a bear. I’ve never seen one here, but they’re definitely around. I see bighorn sheep all the time.” He stood, and looked out the window and gestured for her to join him. “See up there in the fields, there’s five of them. I’ll get the binoculars.” He returned a moment later and handed them to Bernie. She took a look and marveled at what she saw.
“I’ve never seen them up close before, like this. They almost don’t look real.”
“I know. That’s how I felt the first time I saw them. There’s something almost magical about them.” He set the binoculars on the window ledge and they returned to the sofa. Once they were settled in, he turned to her and said, “I had a funny week. Remember that CEO that Dani rescued?”
Bernie nodded.
“Well, he was very appreciative the next day. He even practically offered me a job, a dream job really. An incredible opportunity with almost twice the salary I make now.”
“That must have been flattering,” Bernie said.
“Oh, it was. And for about ten seconds when I thought about my paycheck, I was tempted. But how could I leave this?” He looked out the window, at the brilliant sunset and the rippling water below. “Everything I need is here. My current salary is fine.”
Bernie's Birthday (River's End Ranch Book 22) Page 7
