by Robin Bayne
Colt shook his head. There was no hope for him. He smiled slightly at Liz as she entered the courtyard, looking cute. Jake would love her. He wondered briefly what Liz’s tattoo was; he hadn’t been able to see hers either. Not that that was any of his business.
When he’d cornered her in the hallway the other night, she couldn’t be persuaded to tell. She'd merely smiled insincerely and told him he would have to see Tia’s close up for himself.
He hadn’t figured out how to do that either.
~*~
Tia turned on the Tiffany lamp in her room, aware she couldn’t avoid Liz, who was following her with friendly nagging.
“So you’re bugged that he saw your butt. Big deal. It was only the tippy-top of your hip.” Liz flopped on Tia’s bed, watching her friend put the finishing touches to her outfit.
After setting up the food, they had come inside to finish getting ready.
“It sure felt like a big deal,” Tia said, pushing a pair of Liz’s silver hoops through her pierced ears. She’d put her hair up in a French twist, letting strands hang around her face. Not that she was trying to impress anyone tonight. Uh-huh. Right.
“Oh, really? Didn’t you think about Colt seeing you in a swimsuit every day?” Liz narrowed her eyes. “I think you like it that he’s watching you with his tongue hanging out. A bit of retribution, huh?” She rolled onto her back, facing the ceiling. “But then I guess it’s easy to tease a guy, knowing you can never allow yourself to take him back.”
“Liz!” Tia dropped the silver choker she’d been trying to clasp at the back of her neck. It slithered down her shirt.
“You know it’s true, don’t even try to deny it.”
Tia had not said more than ‘Hi’ to Colt since Tuesday night, but this was her first gathering for their friends that the Crane and Cardinal would host, and she wanted to look good. Not for Colt. For herself.
Liz was grinning at her knowingly, but did manage to stand up and yank down the denim.
“You’d better pull your top up while you’re at it.”
Grumbling, Liz adjusted the tube top. “I’m changing clothes, or I’ll be messing with them all evening.”
Tia smiled, genuinely wanting her friend to look good, despite the way she tried to play amateur psychologist. “You’ll do no such thing. You look great. Just make sure you yank the top up and the skirt down, not the other way around.”
Snorting, Liz grabbed a round pillow from Tia’s bed and tossed it at her. “Well, at least you’ll look good for the Coltster. Try to keep your hip covered tonight, OK?”
Tia left Liz in the kitchen chopping veggies for a party tray. There was something she had to do before the barbecue, something she’d been avoiding, and she had to do it alone.
She drove the mile or so to the only churchyard in the small town and walked to its cemetery, a square area outlined by a tall metal fence with sharp-pointed posts. It reminded Tia of miniature fencing she’d had as a child for Christmas, surrounding a toy train garden.
She and Cami had always fought over who would run the controller, until they’d decided that whoever wasn’t running the engine could arrange the little houses. They’d compromised.
It didn’t take long to find her mother’s grave. Thank goodness she’d insisted on burying her here, near her true home, instead of where Evelyn had run to in her attempt to forget George. It was quiet here now, the church too small to offer Saturday services. The grass crunched under Tia’s feet, dry for June, as she bowed her head to speak with her mother.
“Mom, I really miss you. The inn is coming back to life, and I think you’d be proud of what we’re doing with it. So would Colt’s grandmother. I’m working with him now, and it’s really hard to stay away from him no matter how he hurt me in the past. He’s still the quiet, troubled soul you always said he was.” Tia sighed, glanced around, and went on. A faded floral scent tickled her nose.
“Cami called. Guess you knew that. And I am trying to get over the hurt, I really am. I know you’d want me to try harder to forgive both of them, but Mom...” Choking up, Tia paused. “You never would have done what she did, and we all knew how much you loved Colt’s father. Yes, we all knew. And no one blamed you. Not even George’s wife. She always loved you like a sister, and even after she died, you respected her trust in you. I’ll always admire that.”
Waiting for some response, which of course she’d never hear, Tia took a step back and held her hands at her sides. She thanked God for the time she’d had her mother, and for how blessed she was now. Strangely, she never had the urge to tap her nails when she thought about her mother. She felt peaceful.
Tia considered mentioning her new problem with George, but decided not to let her mother know how the man had deteriorated. Well, since she was in heaven, she knew everything, but Tia didn’t want to call it to her attention. Then, she smiled at her own silliness, said goodbye and made her way back to the gravel parking lot.
Motion flickered in the corner of her eye, and she looked back toward the cemetery and saw a man carrying a few straggling flowers nearing the site she’d just left. He dropped the flowers in front of Evelyn’s marker, clutched his hands behind his back, and looked skyward.
It was George.
~*~
Colt felt relieved that Jake hadn’t mentioned Jenny, or anything about Colt dating her, since he hadn’t been sure how the situation would make his friend feel.
Tonight, Jake Canton hovered around Liz like a bee casing his potential flower, his little sister the last thing on his mind.
Colt hid his grin in his sleeve, shrugging off his amusement in the crisp black shirt he’d found. It was the only thing he owned that was clean and unwrinkled, probably never worn before tonight. The horses didn’t care about what he wore and neither did the crew.
Unfortunately, neither did Tia.
But tonight was different, and he could only hope that Tia would notice he’d combed his hair, and though he’d not had it cut yet, he’d slicked it back neatly. And then he’d bought new jeans, stiffer than he liked them, and wore his dress boots, which earned that status just from being clean and polished. It was his concession to an evening event, even if they were by the pool. So long as Tia didn’t get used to it and expect him to do this for all her fancy wedding gigs. Frou-frou wasn’t his thing.
The girls mostly wore those flip-flop shoes you always heard before you saw. They also wore an array of T-shirts and shorts, but somehow he looked past them, searching for one particular pair of legs.
He smelled the grill heating up, reminding him of meals cooked here by Tia’s father, who loved to barbecue and used it as an excuse to be outside more; and by his own father, years ago. It felt so good to remember. A memory would wash over him now like a warm shower, cleansing and welcome.
In one corner of the courtyard a young couple stood together, shifting their weight, heads tilted toward each other as they sipped wine and looked like an ad for blue jeans. They were guests of the inn, and Colt had only seen them briefly, but they seemed nice enough. The man was looking down at the woman with a lovesick expression—one Colt hoped he never wore around anyone.
Especially Tia.
He hadn’t eaten. For some reason, Colt had no appetite, even standing in the draft of char-grilled meat sizzling on the grill, the fat dripping down onto the briquettes and smelling wonderful.
Mrs. Marshall thanked him for a burger and disappeared with her family to eat. All of the inn’s guests had been included in tonight’s barbecue, but they weren’t mingling with Tia and Colt’s friends.
A buddy of Jake’s held his plastic plate up and Colt tossed a cheeseburger on it, thinking the guy was so skinny he should eat several.
Tia had gone somewhere earlier, and just returned in time to greet the first arrivals. He watched her now, hovering by the patio doors nearest the kitchen, dashing in and out for whatever their guests needed. Each time she slid the screen door closed with her hip her little skirt thing flutte
red.
She disappeared inside again, and soon Colt heard soft music flowing through the speakers he’d installed last week. The sun was beginning to set, and he watched Liz light little jar candles that were supposed to keep bugs away. He swatted a mosquito.
Where was Tia?
His mouth dry, Colt slammed the screen door, leaving it vibrating enough to jump the tracking.
She wasn’t in the kitchen.
He found her in the front room, staring almost absently, he thought, through the panes of the bay window facing the road.
“Tia? You OK?”
She nodded, curly pieces of hair moving around her head. “Yeah.”
Colt liked her hair like that. He moved behind her, standing closer than he should, and tried to see what she’d been watching. He could smell her faint scent, some sweet soap overlaid with insect repellant. It smelled sexy to him.
“I’m just looking at the sign.”
Colt didn’t see anything different about it. The scratched wood, with peeling paint, hadn’t changed. The cardinal figure was still missing. It was just one of those little projects that didn’t need immediate attention, and he hadn’t gotten to it yet. He realized that it bothered her, and also that he had the skill to craft a new bird for the sign. He’d think about it.
Reaching up, he placed his palms on her upper arms and rubbed lightly. “Don’t let it bug you.”
“But it’s not complete,” she said, whispering, as if she thought her opinion was not worth speaking loudly. “It’s not perfect.”
He wanted to bury his face in her neck, for comfort. Like the sign, he wasn’t complete, either, without his cardinal. He had to get under control; he wasn’t supposed to touch her. “Come back to the party.”
“I went to my mom’s grave today,” she blurted out.
Colt dropped his hands. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. And George was there. He didn’t see me, but I saw him. He was paying his respects to her.”
It was sad his father had never been with the woman he really wanted. He didn’t want to be his father’s age someday and feel the same way. The woman he married had to be the right one, because he didn’t believe in divorce. He couldn’t even depend on his memories to get him through. Of course, George seemed to be having that problem, too.
But Tia looked at it differently.
“She would have wanted me to respect things, too.” Her voice cracked as if she were about to cry.
Colt stiffened, backing away. He hated it when women cried. “I think she would have wanted you to be happy, so you don’t grow old with no one for company, you know, single and sad.”
She didn’t answer, and Colt left her alone. Again. He didn’t see any way to change her mind, not when it involved a misunderstood relationship of her dead mother’s, and a dead relationship of her misunderstood sister’s. Just putting it into words was complicated.
~*~
Tia watched Jake and Liz, huddling together on a lawn glider, absorbed in each other. She caught Liz’s eye and raised a dramatic eyebrow at her friend, only to see Liz shrug sheepishly.
Jake caught the byplay and flashed Tia an evil grin and a corny thumbs up.
She laughed, shaking her head. Sometimes she really envied the ease with which Liz, um, made friends.
Dark had fallen and Colt lit the strings of patio lights Tia had hung, casting bursts of colored lights in a line around the patio. He’d thought it was a waste, but later admitted it looked good. Festive, she’d told him. A girl thing.
The guests had broken into small groups, laughing, and as couples swayed together to the soft music, Tia smiled. This is what she loved to see, people in her home, happy and relaxed, maybe falling in love.
After checking the supply of drinks in the silver cooler and refilling the fancier ice bucket, Tia began to put away what was left of the food. Counting the night as a success, she swayed shoulders to the beat as she wrapped the remains of an apple pie.
The screen door flew open, smacking loudly against the frame.
“Hey, hey, Tia!” A loud male voice called out, and Tia nearly dropped the pie.
“Matt!” Matt Draeger had arrived. She dashed to the doorway to greet her old friend. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
Matt, nearly six feet of him, grabbed Tia around the waist and lifted her off the floor. “You look great.”
“Did you see anyone you know out back?”
“No, not yet, but it’s hard to know who’s who when most of the younger ones are molded to each other. Wanted to see you first, anyway.” Grinning, Matt bent down and planted a quick kiss on Tia’s lips, his shaggy blond hair tickling her nose.
Tia heard a noise from the hall, the sound of someone clearing his throat. A glance told her a figure watched them from the shadows.
Colt moved toward them, his expression unreadable.
Tia tensed with guilt, and she backed away from Matt. Before she could stop herself she reached to straighten her skort, tugging to make sure it stayed in place. As if it was going anywhere, having shorts built in. She was acting silly.
Matt, sensing nothing amiss, went on to tell her about his latest trip back to campus, something about being hired to help control fraternities.
But Tia’s mind was on Colt. So what if he saw Matt kiss her? It was innocent enough, a reuniting of friends. And even if it wasn’t, what business of his was it, anyway? Did he think she’d been sitting home alone for the past eight years? At least she hadn’t been hanging around one of his relatives.
Matt’s voice trailed off as Colt approached.
“Matt,” Tia said, forcing a smile. “This is Colton Reece, my business partner. And Colt, this is Matthew Draeger, a friend from college.”
7
Colt shook the guy’s hand, and had the irrational thought that this guy had probably seen Tia’s tattoo. Point blank. It was possible he was the guy who’d talked her into having it done. Colt didn’t like him already. But he made the required polite comments and accepted the guy’s compliments on the inn.
The door slid open again and Sheryl Coombs stepped in, her pretty face lighting up as she spied Matt.
“Matt!” Sheryl flung herself at him. “When did you get here? I’m so glad you came. Have you seen Liz?”
The man’s entire frame straightened and his toothpaste-ad grin faded.
Colt decided he liked him a little better.
Recovering, Matt turned to Tia. “So...she’s here?’
“Yes. You probably didn’t see her because it’s gotten so dark.”
Colt knew better. Matt hadn’t seen Liz, a woman he must have feelings for, because Liz was probably with Jake somewhere in the courtyard. His amusement turned sour as Colt realized he might have a testosterone-laden fight on his hands, and this was his own property. His home. It was a neat feeling to know he really cared about the place. Not for his grandmother’s sake, but for his own.
Tia was busy trying to keep Matt and Sheryl talking, probably wondering how to get Liz’s attention and get her out of Jake’s arms.
“Matt,” Colt heard himself saying, “why don’t you come with me? I’ll give you a tour.”
Tia shot him a grateful glance and quit tapping her nails against her crossed arms. As he led Matt through the front hall, he checked back to see Tia dragging Sheryl into the courtyard.
“This is some place you’ve got here,” Matt said, as they headed around the side of the house toward the exterior garage door. They spent a few moments talking about the cars they drove.
Once inside, Colt couldn’t resist asking. “So what’s with you and Liz? Or you and Tia?”
Matt grimaced, pausing as he ran his hands over the inn’s polished snowmobile. “Not Tia. I mean, Tia’s a nice girl, and pretty good looking, but always seemed...I don’t know, wrapped up in somebody else.”
Colt nodded, the knot in his gut easing.
Matt went on. “Liz and I were together all through school. She went to cooking school with Tia
, and then transferred to my school after a while.”
Colt hadn’t known Liz had quit the culinary college. Not that he could ever recall her cooking anything.
“Anyway, we were supposed to get married. Planned to, anyway.” He shrugged, spinning the snowmobile’s steering wheel absently. “Nice machine, man.”
“Yeah. Can’t wait to try it out. It came with the place, just had to shine ‘er up and tune the engine.”
“Cool.” Matt thrust his hands in his pockets and circled the garage, his boat shoes squeaking on the cement floor. He stopped in front of the shelves of carved sloops. “You make these?”
“Yeah.” Colt braced himself for ridicule.
But Matt just nodded, whistled in appreciation, and headed for the door.
Muggy evening air swamped Colt’s face as they left, and Matt turned to him, eyes narrowed. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“You. You’re the one Tia was mooning over all through college. Why she wouldn’t go on any blind dates with me and Liz.”
“I didn’t ever want her sitting home alone.” Colt swiped his hand over his face, feeling slightly ill. Guilt in the gut. Again.
Matt moved away from Colt, as if ready to end the conversation. Taking long strides, he called back to Colt. “Oh, don’t worry, she wasn’t exactly alone. She was always with Derek.”
Frozen in place, Colt wondered if he’d heard wrong. Had Tia been dateless and alone, or dateless with a steady guy? Matt hadn’t made sense. Maybe−
“Fire!” A voice rang out from somewhere behind the house, loud and panicked enough to be serious.
Colt took off at a run, his heart thudding with his feet as he circled the house, narrowing the distance between him and Matt. As they reached the backyard, Colt saw guests swarming out through the courtyard entrance onto the deck, heading toward the outbuildings.
He whirled, fear for the horses grabbing at him. Two guys had a head start and he took off after them, seeing gray smoke now edging the dark night sky.
Please, Lord, not the stable. Each footfall that hit made Colt hear one of those four words. Please-not-the-stable.
