Chapter 10 Aspen
ASPEN
“You sure you’re all right?” the mechanic asked as he scrubbed a hand over his salt-and-pepper beard.
I forced my smile wider. “Just a little too much coffee this morning.”
It was the only reason I could think of for why my hands were trembling and how I’d jumped sky-high when one of the other mechanics dropped a wrench.
Jim chuckled. “I know how that is. I gotta make sure I have me a good breakfast with protein, fat, and slow-burning carbs before I hit the caffeine.”
“I’ll have to remember that next time.” I cast a look over my shoulder and out to the street. As if someone would be wearing a sign that read: John sent me.
A chill skated over my skin. It had to be him. The handwriting was too familiar. The postmark. My mouth went dry. A part of me wanted to head right over to the school, pick up Cady, and run fast and far.
“Aspen?”
Jim’s voice cut into my panic, and I whirled back around. “Sorry. What’d you say?”
Concern lined his face, but he didn’t give it voice. “It’s gonna take me a bit to troubleshoot this baby. It looks like you’ve got a few things going on right now.”
A heavy weight settled on my shoulders. So much for running. Not to mention the snow still covering the higher passes.
“Gotta get some new tires, too. These are bald as my pop. Don’t want you gettin’ in an accident with that precious cargo.”
My eyes burned, and my nose stung as I mentally calculated how much this might cost. How much I had in savings, which was hardly anything. And where I could make cuts.
I swallowed the building panic. “I might have to do the work in phases.”
Empathy washed over Jim’s face. “Don’t you worry. We’ll get it figured out one way or another.”
A mixture of shame and warmth washed through me. That right there was why I didn’t want to leave Cedar Ridge. There was a kindness in the people here that I’d never experienced before. Sure, not all of them were sunshine and roses. But the vast majority? They cared about the people around them.
“Thank you. Can you call when you have an estimate?”
“You know I will. Have a good day. And I wouldn’t hate it if you brought me back one of those bakery treats if you got some leftover.”
My mouth curved, the first honest tip of my lips since I’d opened that damned letter. “You got it. Any requests?”
Jim tapped his lips with a stained finger. “I’m partial to those double chocolate muffins.”
My smile widened. “Those are Cady’s favorite, too. She helped me taste test to get the recipe right.”
“Knew I liked that girl of yours.”
I laughed. “Two peas in a pod.” I glanced at my watch. “I gotta run, or I’ll have an angry cook on my hands.”
“Don’t want that. You have a good day now.”
“You, too.”
I hurried out of the repair shop and into the blistering cold. My hand slipped beneath my jacket and flannel shirt, finding the puckered skin there. The reminder that I’d made it through before and I’d do it again.
I shoved the memories down and walked toward the street.
Most of the snow had melted, but it was still freezing.
I picked up my pace. The Brew’s cook, Zeke, would be mad as hell if I didn’t hurry up.
He opened for me so I could get Cady to school in the mornings, but he wasn’t all that fond of people—so similar to the man who’d been haunting my thoughts lately.
I shoved images of Roan out of my mind and jogged across the street. It was early enough that the sidewalks and shops were quiet. But as I reached The Brew, I saw a few cars parked out front. I recognized most of them, but there were one or two I wasn’t sure of.
The bell over the door tinkled as I walked inside, and the blast of warmth that hit me was a welcome respite from the bitter cold.
Zeke glared at me from behind the counter. “Where’s your car? It’s freezing out.”
I smiled at his cantankerous attitude. “At the shop, getting a checkup.”
He grunted. “Going back to the grill.”
A light laugh rang out to my right as a blonde a little younger than me tried to cover the sound by sipping her coffee. “I gotta say, I’m glad you’re back. He’s not the warm and fuzzy sort.”
I grinned at Elsie. “He’s a teddy bear at heart. I swear.”
She arched a brow. “If you say so.”
“How’d the shoot go?” I asked, motioning to her open laptop with a stunning shot of the mountains. Elsie was in town for an extended stay while shooting a coffee-table book.
She grinned. “Got some good ones before the storm rolled in. I think I’ll have everything I need in a few more weeks.”
“But we’ll miss you around here when you go,” Jonesy said, lifting his mug of coffee to his white-whisker-covered mouth. “I like spending my mornings surrounded by beautiful women.”
Elsie blushed. “I’ll stay put if you finally agree to marry me.”
Jonesy let out a guffaw as the lines around his eyes and mouth deepened. “You just name the place and time.”
My lips twitched at my favorite regular’s antics.
He’d been in here daily since I started, and Elsie had become part of the package deal when she got to town.
I had other daily visitors, but they didn’t stay as long, most getting a coffee before heading to work or school.
I liked being able to count on having Jonesy and Elsie to keep me company.
That spot between my shoulders started to itch. The telltale sign that someone was watching. My gaze instantly swept the room and collided with steely gray eyes. Something about them was cold. Too cold.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to move behind the counter and ignore the stare. I was on edge. Anyone glancing my way would have me on alert.
Hanging up my coat, I shoved my purse into the cabinet. I turned around to get the register sorted and there he was, those gray eyes just as assessing as before.
My palms dampened, but I forced myself to smile at the man while taking in everything I could about him. Dark brown hair. Pale skin. Probably in his late twenties or early thirties. He wore a name-brand jacket and had a nice watch—money but not gobs of it.
“How can I help you this morning?” I greeted.
The man returned my grin, but his expression had an edge. “Tell me what you recommend.”
I didn’t want to take my eyes off the man, feeling like he might strike if I did. But I flicked a quick glance at the bakery case. “If you’re going for savory, you can’t go wrong with the cheddar and scallion biscuit. If you’re in the mood for sweet, I like the orange-cranberry scones.”
“Sounds amazing. I’ll take one of each.”
I nodded, moving to grab the tongs so I could get his items.
“You from here?” the man asked.
I couldn’t help the tension that swept through my muscles. It had taken me so long to get used to the tourists’ and locals’ curious natures and remind myself that they only wanted to make conversation, not uncover all my secrets.
“Been here almost five years now.”
The man grinned again, but I didn’t see an edge to it this time. The curve of his mouth read genuine. I gave my head a little shake. John’s letter was making me lose it.
The guy handed over a twenty. “You’re a local, then. My buddy and I are here to do a little hiking and exploring. Any places you recommend?”
A tourist. The tension bled out of my shoulders a fraction as I made change. “There’s a company in town called Vacation Adventures. They have a whole slew of guided trips you can take.”
“Sounds awesome. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks…”
“Aspen,” I filled in.
“Thanks, Aspen. I’m Steven.”
“Nice to meet you.”
He took the plates from me. “If these taste as good as they look, I’m sure I’ll be back.”
I chuckled. “I’ve been warned.”
As he stepped away from the counter, a woman in her sixties took his place. I fought the groan that wanted to surface as I struggled to keep my smile in place. “Good morning, Ms. Peabody. What can I get you today?”
She looked around the café before her gaze settled back on me as if hoping some juicy piece of gossip would land in her lap. “I’ll take an Earl Grey tea and a bran muffin.”
“Coming right up.” I poured the hot water into a whimsical mug that fit with the rest of the décor of The Brew.
I’d convinced the owner, Sue, to let me redecorate with a minimal budget.
Cady and I had a blast hunting for finds at garage and estate sales and giving the place a new coat of paint.
The result was an almost Alice in Wonderland look, full of color and life.
I handed Ms. Peabody her breakfast and took the exact change she gave me. There was never a tip from her.
“Did you hear that SAR rescued a man off the mountain the night before last?” she asked.
A shiver ran through me as I thought about how cold it had been. “No, I didn’t.”
Ms. Peabody let out a little huff, but I didn’t miss the glee in her eyes. “Tourist, of course. Decided to go hiking in the snow. Got hypothermia and scared his poor wife to death. They’re staying at my B&B, naturally.”
I tried to stifle my laugh. She’d said it as if that garnered her some sort of prize. But I guessed when gossip was your currency, it did.
The bell over the door rang, and I glanced up to greet the newcomer.
The words Welcome to The Brew died in my throat.
Piercing blue eyes met mine. His light brown hair looked more than a little wild, and stubble dotted Roan’s jaw.
He carried a large bag of something, and I knew it had to be heavy because I saw his muscles bulging, even under his jacket.
Ms. Peabody pursed her lips and hurried to a table as Roan strode toward me. He had the kind of energy that ate up space and made everyone sit up and pay attention.
“Hi,” I greeted. Unfortunately, it sounded more like a rush of air than an actual word.
“Brought you some deer feed but didn’t see your car.”
There were no pleasantries with Roan, just straight to business. I admired the authenticity of it in a way. “My station wagon’s at the mechanics’.”
“Good.” Even the word sounded like a grunt.
“Thanks for the food. You can put it in the back if you want.”
Roan jerked his head in a nod and then followed me down the hall to the storage room. I opened the door and flicked on a light. “Anywhere’s good.”
The shelves were packed full of non-refrigerated supplies, so there wasn’t much room. But Roan slid by me and dumped the food in the corner. As he stood, we nearly came nose-to-nose.
I sucked in a breath. That faint sandalwood scent was back. It swirled around me in a tempting tease. Up close, Roan had an otherworldly beauty with a sharply angled jaw and haunting eyes. A faint scar bisected one of his eyebrows, and I had the bizarre urge to trace it with my finger.
Roan’s gaze dropped to my lips. “I can load it into your car later.”
I forced myself to take a step back. “That’s okay.”
“It’s heavy.”
“I know, but I’m used to lifting heavy things.” Hay and feed were never light.
Roan scowled. “You could hurt yourself.”
I rolled my eyes. “Or I’ll just get a workout in.”
Roan opened his mouth to argue, but Zeke yelled from the kitchen.
“Got customers.”
And the cook wasn’t about to deal with people if I was around.
I hurried out of the storage room. “Thanks again.”
Roan simply grunted.
I wondered if I could decipher what each one meant if I studied them hard enough. My lips twitched at the idea.
Roan hovered by the bakery case as I slipped behind it. He looked unsure, uncomfortable.
My brows pinched. “Did you need something?”
He shook his head jerkily. “You got a ride home?”
I felt something squeeze deep in my chest. “I’m picking up my car at three.”
Roan frowned. “Gonna take longer than that to fix it.”
“Jim isn’t fixing it today. Just doing an assessment.”
That frown deepened. “It’s not safe to drive.”
“It’s safe enough for now.”
Roan simply stared me down.
I fought the urge to squirm under that dark blue gaze.
“Excuse me,” a patron said from the other side of the counter, and I flushed from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes.
“How can I help you?” I hurried to fill the customer’s order. When I turned back around, Roan was gone.
A flicker of disappointment rooted itself somewhere deep. I worried that spot on the inside of my cheek.
A throat cleared, and I turned back to the register.
Ms. Peabody was standing at the counter, a stern look on her face. “I didn’t know you were friendly with the Hartley boy.”
She said it as if Roan were thirteen instead of well into his thirties. “I’m friends with the whole Hartley family,” I hedged.
I wasn’t sure Roan would consider me a friend, more an annoyance, but I’d be his friend anyway.
Ms. Peabody’s lips thinned. “They are a wonderful family, but Roan…you need to be careful around him. He’s not like the rest of his siblings. Not exactly normal.”
My spine snapped straight. “Roan is an incredibly kind and caring human being. He was here to bring me food for an injured deer that he helped me rescue. That sounds like an amazing person to me. If you want to judge him because he’s quiet or a little gruff, go ahead. But don’t do it in front of me.”
Ms. Peabody snapped her mouth closed, her face turning red. “I was trying to look out for you.”
“Maybe. Or were you trying to stir up gossip and trouble?”
The redness deepened. “I don’t need this kind of attack. I’ll take my business elsewhere.”
I wanted to shout good riddance as she flounced out of the café, but I resisted.
A slow clap sounded, and I looked to see Elsie grinning as she did it. “Bravo. That woman is awful.”
Jonesy chuckled. “Can’t say I’ll miss the side of bitter with my morning joe.”
“But that hottie can come back anytime. He’s got a great ass.”
I choked on a laugh, but it died on my lips as I watched Ms. Peabody storm across the street. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like for Roan to live with that kind of cruelty and judgment day in and day out. No wonder he rarely ventured into town.
But as much as I understood, it made my heart ache for the man who had to feel incredibly alone.