Rocky Mountain Romance

by Lesley Ann McDaniel

  “I’ll do whatever I can to help.” Her voice felt weak, as if the crazy resistance she had waged against Ben’s manly appeal was draining her not only physically and emotionally but vocally, as well.

  “Don’t forget you’re on vacation, Sheil.” Courtney’s slightly rounded features grew stern. “You already worked all last night. I want you to have some fun while you’re here.”

  “I am having fun.” Sheila tossed Courtney a playfully defensive glance.

  “You know what you should do?” Courtney flicked a finger from Sheila to Ben. “You two should go horseback riding again. Micah would probably take you out this afternoon.”

  The suggestion kicked Sheila’s heart like an angry mule. The last thing she needed right now was to be coerced into spending time with Ben, especially on some secluded horse trail.

  Courtney scrunched up her eyes, and Sheila realized that neither she nor Ben had responded.

  “I would, but—” Sheila floundered “—you said you needed help with the baby’s room.”

  “True, but you’re supposed to be relaxing, too. Besides, I’m sure Ben doesn’t want to be stuck painting walls and putting together the crib in all his free time. Right, Ben?”

  Sheila cautioned him a glance. He met her eyes, then looked down at his hands. “I’d really like to go riding again. It was fun.”

  “There, see?” Satisfaction tinged Courtney’s tone as if she’d won a round in some battle that only she knew about. “If Ben goes, you have to go. You’re better at it than he is.”

  The comment lit the fuse of a fireworks display in Sheila’s chest. Everyone looked at her as if her agreement were imminent and actually a good idea. How was she supposed to get out of this?

  Fortunately, the beeping of her phone cut short an almost lie about her recently discovered allergy to horsehair. She quickly pulled the device from her purse and muted the beep, wincing at the sight of Karl’s name lighting up the screen. She checked her watch. He was set to do the presentation for Claude and Mr. Abbott in about half an hour. Why was he calling? They had finalized all the details last night, and she had already talked to him once this morning to reassure him.

  She scraped back her chair and stood. “Would you excuse me for a minute?” Heading for the door, she clicked Accept on the phone. “What’s up?”

  “What if he doesn’t like it?” He launched straight into a high-pitched lament.

  “Karl, we’ve been over this.” She slipped outside so as not to disturb any café patrons. “All you have to do is take notes and ask him leading questions. You’ve seen me do it a hundred times.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “You’re going to do great.” She hoped she sounded convincing, but his insecurity made her consider the feasibility of hiring a private jet to get her back to L.A. in time to just do the presentation herself. “We’ve done exactly what he wanted, and the worst that can happen is he’ll ask for more changes. It’s going to be fine.”

  Pacing a few steps toward the curb, she glanced over at the ice cream store on the other side of the main street. The door next to it—which led to the upstairs offices where Courtney worked—opened, and a distinguished-looking middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a neatly trimmed beard stepped out onto the sidewalk. Sheila took in a breath. Even with his phone to his ear, Travis Bloom looked remarkably laid-back for a big-time movie director with a blockbuster opening in a month.

  Karl prattled on, but she was too preoccupied to listen as she watched Mr. Bloom cross the street. Living in L.A., she’d grown used to seeing movie people and was seldom impressed. But Mr. Bloom was different. She had met him at Courtney’s wedding and still felt a little wowed in his presence.

  Her phone beeped with a second incoming call. She checked quickly, allowing Karl’s voice to grow dim for a second. Kevin.

  Ugh. Guilt kicked her in the stomach. She’d had a brief conversation with him when her plane landed yesterday. But what with staying up half the night to finish the project and getting up early to go with Courtney to her office, she had completely forgotten her promise to touch base with him again this morning.

  “Karl, I have to take this other call. Email me after your meeting, okay?” She barely gave him time to object before clicking over. “Hi, Kevin.”

  “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  The question puzzled her. “Well, no. It’s after eleven.”

  “Right. I just figured you must have slept in. I couldn’t think of another reason why you wouldn’t have called me this morning.”

  “Sorry.” She rested her elbow in her hand and turned to absentmindedly look through the window into the café. “It’s just that—” Ben sat there stirring a glass of soda with a straw “—I’ve been really busy, and—”

  “No worries.” The hint of reprimand lifted from Kevin’s tone.

  Her focus homed in on Ben. No wonder she’d been so easily fooled by him last year. He really did come across as a totally sweet guy. Shy, even. She had to cut herself a break for not seeing him for what he really—

  “I really miss you, Sheila.”

  “Mmm?” His comment jarred her eyes off Ben. “Oh. You, too.”

  “So I was thinking this time apart would be a great test for us.”

  “A test?” Her gaze drifted back to the window. If she didn’t know better, she would think Ben was downright innocent. Good thing she knew better.

  Ben looked at the chair she’d vacated, then turned his head toward the window where she stood gawking at him. Mortified, she whipped around just as Travis Bloom crossed behind her and reached for the handle of the door next to her.

  “Whoa.” He fumbled back a step as he held his hands up in mock defense.

  Heat raced to her cheeks. She mouthed, “Sorry,” relieved as he gave her a warm smile and entered the café.

  “...either ‘out of sight, out of mind’ or ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.’”

  “What? Oh. Right.” Furtively, she peered through the window again as Mr. Bloom crossed to the table where the Jacobs family sat. They all looked up in welcome.

  “So I was thinking I’d like to take our relationship to the next level.”

  “Next level?”

  Speaking to Courtney and her family, Mr. Bloom gesticulated as if he were pitching a movie idea to a bunch of Hollywood bigwigs. They gazed at him with rapt attention. What was going on?

  “Yes. I think you and I should be exclusive, don’t you?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Tawny, their head server, who had an orange streak in her black hair and a flair for the dramatic, arrived at the table with their food, and Mr. Bloom said something to her. She nodded animatedly as she delivered the plates and hurried back to the counter.

  “Sheila? Don’t you?”

  “Huh? Oh. Sure.”

  Tawny said something to Andra’s hunky cowboy boyfriend, Hank, then darted back to the kitchen. Hank sauntered over to the table and joined in what had become a lively discussion.

  “Good. Let’s celebrate when you get back.”

  “Sounds good.” She watched as other customers twisted in their seats to face Mr. Bloom. “Look, I really should go. Our lunch just arrived.”

  “Right.” Kevin’s tone flattened. “Well, call me tonight.”

  “Will do.” She reached for the door as she said goodbye and clicked off, then moved briskly back to the table. “What’s going on?”

  Courtney spoke up. “Mr. Bloom says he has some big news for the café.”

  “Oh?” She retook her seat next to Ben, who had stood when she’d arrived and now sat again himself. Good grief. Why did she have to find that so endearing?

  Janessa and Andra approached the table, with Tawny and a couple of counter workers trailing behind them. Sheila looked over to
see the kitchen staff peering out of the pass-through window. Whatever this was, it sure had everyone’s interest.

  “What is it, Mr. B?” Janessa put her hands in the pockets of her Golden Pear apron.

  A sly smile played on his lips as he waited for a hush to fall over the room. “Janessa, Andra...” He held up his hands as if to paint a picture in the air. “How would you like to appear on Food Fight?”

  Tawny let out a little shriek and put her hands over her mouth.

  “You mean—” Andra exchanged a tentative glance with Janessa “—the reality show?”

  Sheila held her breath as an expectant silence hovered over the room. This was an incredible opportunity.

  Mr. Jacobs leaned forward over his sandwich. “Is that the show where a bunch of famous food people eat in different restaurants and judge which one is best?”

  “Yes, dear.” Mrs. Jacobs patted her husband’s arm. “The one with the clever host. What’s his name? Brant? Bradley?”

  “Brian Leary!” Tawny looked ready to burst. “I’m such a fan.”

  “It’s a really entertaining show.” Sheila liked the idea and hoped to sound supportive. “The judges visit two different restaurants in different cities and determine which is superior.”

  “Then the winner gets money,” Tawny chimed in. “It’s totally cool.”

  “But—” Janessa wrinkled her brow “—how can we possibly be on the show if we haven’t applied?”

  Mr. Bloom held up a hand. “I got a panicked call last night from my friend Blair, who produces the show. Apparently, one of the places they were set to tape this week had a health-code violation, and they need a last-minute replacement. Blair asked about restaurants in Thornton Springs. Knowing how much publicity the places that compete on this show get, I naturally thought of the Golden Pear.”

  Andra wrapped her arms around her middle. “I don’t know...”

  Janessa snapped her a look. “Andra, do you know what this would mean for our business? People actually plan their vacations around the restaurants that win on this show.”

  “They call them Food Fight Road Trips,” Tawny added. “I follow their blog.”

  Janessa’s eyes turned pleading. “This could make our little café famous.”

  “But it’s a brutal competition.” Andra had a pinched look on her normally restrained face. “Don’t restaurants sometimes get trounced on that show?”

  “Maybe...” Janessa chimed in. “But the one that gets the best score wins ten thousand dollars. Think about what we could do with that money. We could finish all our plans for this place and have a little cushion in our account.”

  Andra cocked her head in consideration.

  “Not to mention,” Sheila added, “the business it would bring to your café.”

  There was a sense of collective breath-holding in the room as all eyes zeroed in on Andra.

  Andra lowered her lids for a moment. When she opened them, she looked upward and gave a resigned nod. “Okay. But I hope we don’t regret this.”

  The room erupted in animated conversation.

  “It’s just a little reality show,” Andra shouted to be heard. “Nothing to get all worked up about.” She flicked her hands at her employees, who took their cue to return to their battle stations.

  “Well.” Mr. Bloom seemed pleased. “Now that that’s taken care of, I’ll be getting back to work.” He looked down at Courtney. “Will I see you in the office this afternoon?”

  “Sheila and I will be back in right after lunch.” Courtney turned her gaze on Sheila. “Unless she decides to go horseback riding.”

  A lump rose in Sheila’s throat. She’d hoped that subject had been forgotten.

  “Fine.” Mr. Bloom nodded to the rest of the table and made his exit.

  “Well.” Mr. Jacobs flashed a grin as he picked up his fork. “All this excitement has sure worked up my appetite.”

  As Courtney engaged in conversation with her parents about the baby’s room, Sheila dug into her salad. She couldn’t help but notice that Ben had a firm two-handed hold on his sandwich but hadn’t actually bitten into it. He cleared his throat, then turned his head and leaned toward her slightly. “So...”

  Her stomach jumped. Keep cool, Sheila. Taking a too-big bite, she angled her head with what she hoped was an attentive but not-too-receptive expression.

  “Horseback riding sure sounds like fun.” He dipped his chin. “You want to go?”

  A hunk of lettuce nearly wedged in her throat as a memory seeped out of the deep place where she’d stuffed it. The two of them up on the beautiful ridge where they’d ridden last year. Leaving their horses with Janessa, they’d walked a little ways up the trail to get a better view of the valley. Being the total geek bookworms they both were, they’d spent their time debating about who created stronger characters, Hemingway or Fitzgerald.

  “Jake Barnes or Jay Gatsby,” Ben had said, sweeping a hand toward a dead tree that had fallen in the perfect spot to create VIP seating for the view in front of them. “Which one do you find more believable?”

  She’d sat pondering the comparison. “I haven’t read The Great Gatsby since high school, but I remember The Sun Also Rises from college. I vote for Ernest. He was a master.”

  “True, but look at how Fitzgerald wrote Gatsby to seem to be something he isn’t. He’s really just a poor guy who’s trying to convince the woman he loves that he’s worthy of her. Brilliantly written.”

  She’d smiled, finding it hard to entirely focus on what he was saying as she gazed into those thoughtful gold-flecked eyes. He’d caught her looking at him and returned her smile. The way his expression had become serious had made her think for a moment that he’d wanted to kiss her.

  Alarmed, she’d turned away, a decision she had instantly regretted but had later come to appreciate. “I...I’ll have to read it again.”

  He’d cleared his throat, seeming a little embarrassed. “I think I saw it on a shelf back at the house. We should look.”

  Returning to the present moment, she swallowed a cube of pear practically whole. Now, just like then, his deep hazel eyes pooled with hopefulness, and he looked like the adorable guy who loved great literature as much as she did and had stolen her heart last summer.

  Her mind raced. What were they talking about? Something about horseback riding. Right. He had asked her if she wanted to go with him again and was waiting for her response. Dizziness threatened, and her head started to slowly nod without her full consent.

  “Right, Sheil?”

  Courtney’s voice pierced through her reverie just as she was about to buy a one-way ticket to Ben Fantasyland.

  She coughed. “I’m sorry...what?”

  Courtney let out a little breath, clearly not thrilled at having to repeat herself. “I was telling my parents about that restaurant design you did. The one with all the fish.” Courtney pronged a bite of her salad. “Was that what your assistant was calling about?”

  “What...?” Sheila’s brain felt blurry, knowing that Ben’s question still hung between them unanswered.

  Courtney’s brow creased. “Wasn’t that who called you earlier?”

  “Right. Karl.” And someone else.... Kevin. She narrowed her eyes. What had Kevin said that seemed so important?

  Suddenly, it hit her. Kevin had said something about wanting to be “exclusive.” And she’d been so distracted she had practically ignored him. What was she thinking? She would be the biggest idiot on earth if she ruined a genuinely promising new relationship just because of a guy like Ben. She pursed her lips. She had almost allowed him to lure her in again, but it wasn’t going to work.

  Horseback riding. As if. She balled up her fist under the table as a snide question played on her lips. Does Stephanie like horseback riding?

  She bit back
a surge of irritation and hurt feelings. “I can’t go riding.” Forcing a small smile, she tilted her head toward Courtney. “We have too much work to do.”

  “Oh.” The disappointment in his voice would have been heartbreaking if she’d bought his nice-guy act. “Maybe later...?”

  She stabbed at a disc of cucumber on her plate, ignoring his last words and vowing not to be fooled by him again. Last summer, he’d led her to believe he was interested in her. She had thought she wanted to know everything about him, until she’d found out the one fact that had changed everything.

  Just after she’d been lured into agreeing that they should keep seeing each other even if it had to be long-distance, she’d found out that he’d committed a sin of omission.

  He’d neglected to tell her that he already had a girlfriend.

  Chapter 3

  Watching his dad hoist himself onto a horse for the ride he was about to take with Micah, Ben breathed in the earthy scent of the barnyard and rubbed the back of his neck. He had really wanted to go riding, too, but when Sheila had turned down his invitation, the activity had lost its appeal.

  Now all he wanted to do was kick himself. Why had he ever thought this trip was a good idea? He should have planned to come out after his niece or nephew was born and after Sheila had gone back home. Too bad it was too late to change his plan.

  The worst part of the whole mess was that it didn’t seem to matter how cold she was to him. He still liked her. Could his self-esteem really be that low? Yes, apparently, it could.

  “I still wish you were going with your father, sweetheart.” Standing next to him, his mom gave him the worried look he’d grown so used to over his years of voluntary nonparticipation in most physical activities and social events.

  “If the boy says he’d rather stay put, Marlene, let him be. He’s just fine.”

  Good ol’ Dad. Ben smiled. Forever coming to his defense.

  Mom’s look of concern only grew, the way it always did. “I just think a little time outdoors would do him good.”