Chapter Sixteen
On Thursday evening, Trip wandered around the house checking that everywhere was … he didn’t know what he was checking. The place was always immaculate—Maisie’s niece, Anita, had taken over when Maisie retired, and the only difference that Trip had ever noticed was the lack of familiarity that came from him having known Maisie all his life.
He stopped in the den and stared at the TV, fondly remembering all the evenings he and Shelley had spent in here. Harper had only arrived a couple of days ago, but he was already missing having Shelley around. He missed the way she teased him, the way she wandered around in his pajamas, and he missed the way she fell asleep on the sofa at night with her head on his lap.
He picked up the TV remote and placed it on the coffee table in front of the spot where she usually sat. He doubted they’d be watching TV tonight since she was bringing Harper over to dinner, but … He stared at the remote, wondering why he’d wanted to put it there. He didn’t know if it was a way of letting her know that he missed her, or if he was trying to quietly signal that if she came back to stay with him—or even if she just stayed here in town—he wasn’t going to try to control her.
He laughed at himself and headed back to the kitchen to check in with Anita.
She’d outdone herself with dinner. When he’d explained that Shelley’s friend was something of a foodie and she was from New York, Anita’s Montana pride had come out full force. She’d even stuck around to make sure everything made it to the table as she intended it to—she usually left dinner ready for him to make the finishing touches himself.
She’d made mushroom tartlets with chanterelles that she’d had one of the hands go out and pick fresh from some secret spot she knew. Trip had always thought that they weren’t in season till the fall—late summer at the earliest. She’d just smiled and told him that a true Montana cook could find them whenever they needed to. Same with the huckleberries that she’d used to make the pie for dessert and the chokecherries for the sauce to go with the bison tenderloin she planned to serve with a wild rice pilaf.
When he reached the kitchen, he breathed in all the wonderful aromas. Spotting fresh bread cooling on a rack, he approached but stepped back with a laugh when Anita turned and swatted at him.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Sorry!”
“You will be if you mess this up. I’m trying to impress Shelley’s friend here—we need her to see that Shelley’s going to be all right if she stays.”
Trip smiled. He hadn’t discussed the situation with Anita, but as with most things, she’d picked up on what was going on.
She shrugged. “Just because you don’t tell me, it doesn’t mean I can’t work it out for myself, does it?”
“No, and sorry …”
Her expression gentled. “You don’t need to apologize. That was just my heavy-handed way of saying that I hope this works out—I hope Shelley stays. I mean, I hope the two of you …”
Trip couldn’t help smiling, and she slapped his arm.
“You know what I mean, and you know I’m not good at the emotional stuff. I’ll do my part to help you out, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Thanks, Anita. You’re the best.”
“And don’t you forget it. Now, get out of my kitchen and let me focus. I haven’t had the chance to make a decent dinner in years.” She grinned at him. “You and your friends are a bunch of heathens. I’m doing this for myself as much as I am for you. If Shelley stays, maybe she’ll want to start having dinner parties, and I can have some fun.”
“You’d consider that fun?”
“I would. I went to culinary school, you know—while I was waiting for Auntie Mae to retire and let me step up.”
He smiled. “If you’d enjoy the cooking, we should start having regular dinner parties—it’d be fun to invite the guys over now that they’re all coupled up. I bet the women would love it.”
“I’m sure they would, but it’s Shelley I care most about.” She held his gaze. “And we both know you do, too.”
~ ~ ~
When they reached the entrance to Trip’s ranch, Shelley directed Harper to turn off the highway. She couldn’t help laughing as Harper looked all around, wide-eyed.
“You mean to tell me this is his driveway?” she asked.
“Yep,” said Shelley. “But don’t worry—you’ve got a while to get used to it before we reach the house.”
Harper shook her head in wonder as she drove.
Shelley couldn’t wait to see her face when they emerged from the line of cottonwood trees by the creek and the house came into view.
“Holy smokes! Are you kidding me? Is that his house? I know you told me it was impressive, but damn, Shelley-Bells.”
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Shelley asked.
“It’s more than beautiful—it’s amazing. I love it.”
Harper’s smile faded, and Shelley shot her a curious look. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I have to ask…” Harper frowned. “From the little bit I’ve gotten to know him in the last few days, I can already tell that Trip’s a great guy. He’s a wonderful person—not to mention good-looking. And now, seeing his house like this, he has to be loaded too, right?”
Shelley nodded, not wanting to comment. She didn’t like to think about him that way.
Harper rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know it’s not important to you, but my point is that…”
“What?” Shelley asked when it seemed that Harper wasn’t going to continue. “It’s not like you to not get straight to the point.”
“I know, but I’m worried about how this will sound. If Trip’s got so much going for him, how come nobody’s scooped him up already? I mean, he’s a real catch—on paper, at least.” She shot Shelley a puzzled look. “Is there something about him that I don’t know yet?”
Shelley laughed. “No—or at least if there is, I don’t know it yet, either.”
“So, you’re telling me there’s no reason at all why he should still be single?”
Shelley shook her head. “Not the kind of reasons you might be thinking of. He’s still single because his ex-wife did a real number on him. He hasn’t wanted to get involved with anyone since.”
Harper’s smile returned at that. “Oh, okay then. I can see that.”
“You can?” asked Shelley.
“Yeah. I was the same for years after I got divorced, remember? I just didn’t want to know.”
“Didn’t?” Shelley asked. “You’re using the past tense. Does that mean you might consider it these days?”
Harper shrugged. “I know I used to say never again—but these days, I’m more inclined to say never say never.”
Shelley smiled. “Okay, good to know.”
“But back to Trip. I can understand how a bad marriage—or a bad divorce, or both—might have left him gun-shy. And I can also understand how you could be the one person who’d make him reconsider.”
“And why’s that?” Shelley asked.
Harper grinned at her. “Just because you’re you—that’s all. I like the idea that he was saving himself for you—and now you get to be the one who puts a ring on him.”
Shelley inhaled sharply. “Oh, hell no!”
“No? Why not?”
“You know why not. I’m never getting married again.”
“But he’s awesome!”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean I’d want to marry him.”
“What then?”
“I don’t know. You’re getting ahead of yourself. I’ve only just decided that I want to stay here. And I think the only reason I’m okay with it is because I’m not staying for Trip.”
Harper glanced over at her.
“I don’t mean that I don’t want to be with him—I do. But even if we end up together, I don’t want him to be the reason I stayed.” She huffed out a sigh. “If I’m honest, I already know that I want him to be a part of my life. But Harper, I don’t want him to be my whole life. That’s what happened with Jeff. We worked together, we lived together, we did everything together. We had the same friends, shared the same hobbies… I want my own life.”
“I get that, I do… Where do I go?”
They were approaching the point where the driveway split, and Shelley pointed toward the back of the house. “I always park back there by the kitchen. Although if you like, we could go to the front.”
Harper looked up at the imposing facade on the front of the house, and then turned toward the kitchen. “No, it’s beautiful, and I like the idea of arriving for some party or something and getting out in front there, but we should go in through the kitchen. I want him to think of me as a friend—not as some visitor he has to entertain because I’m here with you.”
~ ~ ~
After they’d finished the main course, Trip helped Anita clear the table for dessert.
Harper caught his eye when he took her plate. “Thanks, Trip. I love that you help her out and don’t just sit on your ass to be waited on.”
He chuckled. “That’s never been my way.”
“Mine either.” She surprised him by getting to her feet. “So, if you don’t mind, I’ll come and say thank you.”
He glanced at Shelley, and she stood, picking up her own plate. “The best parties always end up in the kitchen, don’t they?”
Anita looked a little perturbed when the three of them entered the kitchen. “Is everything all right?”
Harper grinned. “Everything is so much more than just all right. I had to come and give my compliments to the chef. I hope you don’t mind?”
Anita grinned back at her. “Not in the least. You’ve enjoyed it so far then?”
“My goodness, yes.” She shot Trip a sassy smile. “I enjoyed it so much that if ever you want a change of scenery, I’d recommend you to any of my friends or colleagues in New York.”
He felt bad for Harper when Anita stood a little straighter. He knew that Harper was only joking, but he also knew that Anita was fiercely loyal and wasn’t overly fond of out-of-staters.
He was grateful to Shelley when she intervened. She smiled at Anita and said, “But how could the scenery in New York ever compare to this?”
Harper seemed to realize her mistake immediately. “It couldn’t. I just feel bad for those poor folks who’ll never get to experience your cooking. Is there any chance you ever do any freelancing, though? I thought that moving here would mean I’d miss some of my favorite restaurants, but with you around, I won’t even remember their names after a week or two.”
Anita smiled at that. “I don’t freelance. This is my one and only job. So, you’ll just have to be on your best behavior and hope that Trip invites you over sometimes.”
“Touche!” Harper laughed. “And thanks for getting us back on track—I put my foot in it there, didn’t I?”
“You weren’t to know,” Anita told her. “It’s all good.”
Trip glanced at Shelley, and she gave him a small smile. It hadn’t sunk in properly yet that she’d decided to stay. Of course, he was happy about it, but he felt a little uncertain. It wasn’t that she’d decided she wanted to be with him, and stay here with him. It seemed that she and Harper had reached a joint decision, and they were going to start looking for a rental over the weekend. He should be happy—he was happy. But he’d be much happier after he had a chance to talk to Shelley alone. They hadn’t had a moment since Harper arrived. Not that it was Harper’s fault; things had been hectic at the clinic, and he’d been called into the hospital last night, so…
Harper spun around when the kitchen door opened behind her. Trip had to guess that was a result of living in the big city. Neither Shelley nor Anita seemed surprised that someone would just walk in.
Trip smiled at the stunned look on Emmett’s face when he stepped inside. He could understand it. Emmett sometimes stopped in to say hi when he was passing, and for years now, he’d found Trip home alone. They’d shared probably hundreds of beers sitting at the counter in a quiet, still kitchen. Now, he was faced with three women, who all looked pleased to see him.
Anita knew him well, of course. Shelley had met him a few times. And Harper… He smiled through pursed lips. Harper looked as though she’d happily forego the huckleberry pie she’d been so excited about and have Emmett for dessert instead.
“Err, hi,” Emmett muttered once he’d recovered from the shock. “I… it doesn’t matter. I’ll come back another time.”
“Hey! It’s not a problem. I’m glad you’re here. Is everything okay?”
Emmett’s brow furrowed as he looked at Trip. “Yeah. Everything’s fine. I just… I’m done with my calls for the day. Since I was passing, I thought I’d come tell you that Alana got the part, so I might need to take you up on the offer of help.”
“That’s great. Is she excited?”
“She is.” Emmett nodded at Shelley and Anita and touched the brim of his hat at Harper. “I apologize for interrupting your evening, ladies. I’ll be on my way.”
“Have you eaten yet? Do you want to join us?” Trip asked.
“I’m good, thanks. I’ll be on my way.”
Trip raised an eyebrow at Anita.
“There’s huckleberry pie,” she told Emmett.
“I’m good, thanks all the same.”
Trip was fascinated by the way Emmett shot a sideways glance at Harper and then snatched his hat off his head, as if he’d only just remembered he was still wearing it.
When Anita gave him an inquiring look, Trip knew what she was thinking and nodded.
“I made a backup,” she told Emmett. “I always do in case of emergencies. If the first one doesn’t turn out, all is not lost. And if it does, the second one goes in the freezer. You should take it—and if you say no, I’ll tell the girls that you turned it down.”
Emmett let out a short laugh. “Do you want to make my life a living hell?”
“No, I want you to take the pie and enjoy it with the girls.”
Emmett glanced at Trip, and he nodded. “Maybe they’ll be more excited to come up here again after they’ve tasted Anita’s huckleberry pie.”
“Be careful what you wish for—they’ll be here all the time.”
“You sure you don’t want to stay for a while?”
“No, I’ll be on my way. You guys have a good evening.” He followed Anita to the pantry, and Trip didn’t miss the way Harper’s gaze tracked him as he left.
“And who, may I ask, was that?” she asked, voice casual but eyes alight with curiosity.
It only dawned on him then that he hadn’t introduced them. “Sorry, that was Emmett. He’s a friend of mine. A veterinarian.”
“He’s one of Trip’s group of friends that I told you about,” Shelley told her.
When Anita came back, she was alone. “He said he had to go,” she explained.
Trip exchanged a look with Shelley—it seemed that she’d noticed the flash of disappointment that had crossed Harper’s face, too.
Anita smiled at them. “Do we want to stand around here all night, or should I dish up this pie?”
“I vote pie now, please,” said Harper.
Trip and Shelley nodded their agreement.
~ ~ ~
After dinner, the three of them moved to the den. Shelley was glad that they’d been able to convince Anita to go home. She must have worked all day on that wonderful dinner, and Shelley didn’t want her to have to stay even later to clean up. They were perfectly capable of doing it themselves—although for now, they were lounging around, recovering from eating so much delicious food.
Harper took a sip of her wine. “You’re going to have to tell me where you buy this, Trip. I love it—and I’ve never considered myself to be a big fan of Shiraz.”
Shelley loved the way he smiled at her friend. He wasn’t just putting up with Harper for her sake; he seemed to genuinely like her. He certainly found her amusing, and that was a relief—some people didn’t know how to take Harper.
“I’ll do better than tell you—I’ll get you a case as a housewarming gift when you find yourself a place.”
Harper laughed. “Will you get me two cases if it’s only a one-bedroomed place?”
Shelley gave her a puzzled look, not following, but Trip seemed to understand. “No, I know the two of you are looking for a place together. Shelley already told me that.”
Harper sat up straight. “Well, just so long as you know that if she wants to move out again after we find it, I’m more than capable of paying my own rent.”
Shelley gave her a puzzled look.
Harper laughed. “I’m trying to reassure Trip that when you guys are ready to move in together, I won’t get in the way!”
Shelley’s heart started to pound. She slowly turned to look at Trip. He wasn’t upset, as she’d feared he might be. In fact, he looked happy! She wasn’t all that happy with Harper for throwing it out there like that, but …
“Okay, so I think I just put my foot in it. I can see myself out.”
Shelley laughed. “You’re fine. It’s okay.”
Trip nodded his agreement. “I don’t mind you bringing it up—and I’m happy to hear it.”
Harper got to her feet. “Good, then I’ll leave you kiddies to enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“What do you mean?” Shelley got up to join her.
Harper rolled her eyes. “I mean that I’m going back to your place now, and you’re not coming.”
“But I …”
“I only had one glass of wine. I know the way—and I have GPS and a phone if I get lost. Why do you think I insisted that I should drive?”
“I thought you wanted to get used to driving out here and to get to know your way around.”
“I did—so that I’ll be perfectly fine going home by myself.” She smiled at Trip. “Do you have a problem with it?”
Shelley loved that he checked in with her before he answered.
Harper laughed. “Just from the way you looked at Shelley, your answer came in loud and clear—you love the idea, but only if Shelley’s okay with it.”
He gave her a rueful shrug.
“Then I shall bid you both goodnight.” She came to hug Shelley, and Trip came to kiss her cheek.
“Will you text Shelley when you get home?” Trip asked.
“I will.” She winked at Shelley. “He’s a keeper!”
They walked her out to her car, and she smiled as she got in. “I’ll be fine. You guys have fun, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
They stood outside the kitchen door, watching her car until the taillights disappeared.
Trip wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
She turned to face him. “Me neither.”
“She’s a good friend.”
“The best.”
He took her hand and led her back into the den. “Want to watch a movie?”
She shook her head. “I’d rather go to bed—but I want to clean up the kitchen first.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I want to argue and go straight upstairs, but it’ll be quicker to just get it done.”
She nodded happily. “See? You’re learning. Between the two of us, it won’t take long.”
It didn’t take long to clean up the kitchen; Trip made sure of that. The way he hurried everything along made Shelley laugh. By the time she closed the dishwasher door, he was finishing wiping down the counters.
He turned and threw the dish towel across the room, punching the air when it landed in the sink.
“Are you proud of yourself?” she asked.
He nodded happily. “Not for landing the shot—that’s neither here nor there,” he explained. “I set myself a goal of getting you upstairs within the next fifteen minutes.” He checked his watch with a grin. “It’s only taken seven.”
She laughed as he grabbed her hand and led her toward the stairs.
“I’ve missed sleeping with you.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’ve missed sleeping with you, too.”
When they reached his bedroom, he turned to her with a more serious look on his face. “It’s only been two nights since you were here. I’m not trying to be clingy… I’ll get used to it.”
She reached up to touch his cheek; she had to be honest. “I don’t want to get used to it, Trip.”
He rested his forehead against hers and looked down into her eyes. “I’m just glad you’re not leaving town. I know you and Harper are getting a place together, but… about what she said… If the day comes when you want to move in here, I hope you know that I want you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think that day’s coming. But there’s no rush, is there?”
“No, honey. No rush at all.” He put his hands on her hips and started backing her toward the bed. “Well… maybe there’s some rush.”
She started unfastening the buttons of his shirt. “You’re right. There is.” She pushed his shirt off his shoulders.
“This may take a while,” he told her. “We have some making up for lost time to do.”
“You won’t hear me complaining. I’m not going anywhere. At least, I’m not going anywhere until about seven in the morning. I’ll have to go home to shower and change before I come into work.”
Trip claimed her mouth in a deep, lingering kiss before saying, “Maybe you should shower here with me. And just go home to get changed.”
“I could be persuaded to do that.”
He lifted his head, looking more serious. “Or are you more concerned about getting some time with Harper?”
Shelley laughed. “No, I’m not concerned in the least. As you’ve seen, she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. I’m not worried about her.”
“Good. And, you know… maybe when we finish tomorrow, we should take her down to the bakery to meet everyone.”
“Yes, let’s do that. And we should ask Jim to come along—if he’s free. He’s your last patient of the day.”
“Okay, and now that we have tomorrow organized, let’s forget about everyone else, and make the most of tonight.”
She lay back on the bed and held her arms up to him. “I’ve been waiting for you to stop talking so that we can start making the most of it.”
He chuckled as he lay down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. “I won’t say another word till morning—I’m done talking, now I’m ready for the loving.”
Her heart felt as though it melted in her chest. She knew what he meant—he was talking about making love—but for a second there, she’d thought he meant he was ready to start loving her.
And if he were?
She tilted her head back as he kissed his way down her neck.
If the day came when he was ready for love, then she might just be right there with him.