Chapter Eight
Aftyn entered the bathroom and closed the door with a soft click.
She washed her face, the cool water refreshing against her flushed skin, then dressed in Cole’s clothes again and padded barefoot to the living room.
The grandfather clock in the foyer chimed twice, its brass pendulum catching the afternoon light.
Two o’clock. Her stomach fluttered wondering what remained of their day together.
“Yeah, since you had sex,” she muttered, blowing a stray hair from her face.
“What?” Cole’s voice startled her as he appeared in the doorway, broad shoulders nearly filling the frame.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Her heart hammered.
“I wasn’t sneaking. Why would I sneak in my own house?” One dark eyebrow arched.
“Shut up,” she said, and his lips curved into a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.
“Good comeback.” He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, the rough stubble on his cheek brushing her temple as he rested his chin on her head. His aftershave mingled with the warm scent of his skin. “What do you want to do until I take you home?”
“More of what we just did.” Crimson heat bloomed across her cheeks.
His chest rumbled with a low chuckle. “I’m all for that, but how about we head into town first? Let you look around.”
“I’d love that. I’ve been too busy asking about Avery to actually see anything. There’s a Christmas shop I noticed with the most beautiful window display.”
“Festive Finds. Let’s do it.” His thumb traced a slow circle on her wrist. “Check if your clothes are dry. Dryer’s through there.”
She found them warm and fragrant with fabric softener and pressed them against her chest. “I’ll go change.”
“Yes, ma’am.” That honey-thick tone that made her knees unreliable. “I’ll let the men know I’m heading out.”
She watched him settle his Stetson on his dark hair, fingers adjusting the brim. When he stepped onto the sun-drenched porch their eyes met, and his wink sent a shiver down her spine. She sighed as the door closed.
She made her way to the bedroom and pulled on her clothes, still warm from the dryer. At the door she glanced back at the rumpled sheets and felt the heat rise in her cheeks all over again. It had been unbelievable. She couldn’t wait to be with him again.
She was grinning all the way to the kitchen. She heard the back door open and close, then Cole appeared, removing his hat. He turned and that slow smile lifted his lips, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
“Ready?”
“Ready.” She leaned against the counter. “Are the men okay out there?”
“They know what to do. I just like them to know when I’m off the property. New horses can act up.”
“Are you a horse whisperer?” she teased.
Cole chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far. I’m decent, but you should see Trick. He has them eating out of his hand in minutes, like they understand every word he says.”
“He’d have me eating out of his hand too,” she murmured, then laughed when Cole sighed and shook his head. “I’m teasing. Though he is one good-looking man with those dark eyes.”
“He’s been through a lot.” Cole folded his arms. “But he’s doing well now. I’m glad he found his way back.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“He lost his first wife, Kaylee, in a car accident on Copper Ridge.” Cole’s voice dropped.
“That man was devastated. Barely left his ranch for three years, sent his hands into town for supplies when he could. He had a baby daughter to raise alone, and nobody thought he’d ever let anyone in again.
Then Rayna came into his life when she inherited the ranch next to his, and he was gone for her.
Harlee loves her too. That little girl was barely walking when Kaylee died.
” He shook his head. “It was hard on the whole town, but nobody took it harder than Trick.”
“I’m glad he found someone new.” Aftyn was quiet a moment. “He seemed really kind at the diner.” She smiled. “Those dark eyes like midnight.”
“Alright, stop thinking about him,” Cole teased.
She laughed. “Please. You’re just as gorgeous with that jawline and those green eyes. I probably shouldn’t tell you that. It’ll go to your head.”
“I’ll try to keep it in check.” He grinned, dimples appearing in his tanned cheeks, and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
He took her hand and led her out to the truck, opened her door, and waited while she slid in. Then he climbed in, looked at her for a moment, and drove them into town.
****
As Cole drove along Main Street his gaze kept drifting to Aftyn’s profile, the late afternoon sun catching the highlights in her hair.
She smiled at each shop they passed, the weathered brick storefronts and colorful awnings that gave Clifton its charm.
He pulled around to the back of the diner and parked by her stairs.
“We could go to The Hartland one night,” he said, cutting the engine. “Nice restaurant over in Hartland. I’ll call ahead for a reservation.”
“I don’t have anything dressy with me.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger.
“You don’t have to dress up.”
“I’d love to go.” She paused. “Wait. You need a reservation but it’s not fancy?”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t fancy. I said you don’t have to dress up. Most people dress up, but plenty show up in jeans.” He gestured to his own Wranglers.
“So, it is fancy.” Her voice dropped.
Cole heard the disappointment. “It’s entirely up to you. Jeans are fine. Trust me. Whatever you want.”
“My luck, the night we go everyone will be dressed up except me.”
“And me. I wear jeans and a dress shirt.”
“A nice dress shirt though, right?” She raised an eyebrow.
Cole sighed. “It will be fine. Ask Connie. She’ll tell you.”
“Okay. Let me take my case up first.”
“Leave it. We’ll get it when we come back.”
“Alright.” She reached for the door handle.
“I’ll get it.” He stepped out, walked around to her side, and opened the door, offering his hand palm up. She placed hers in it, her smooth skin against his roughened palm sending a shiver up his arm. He helped her down and kissed her lightly, surprised by how much he already wanted her again.
They walked along the sidewalk, the scent of her perfume mingling with the smell of burgers and fries drifting from the diner. Aftyn paused at every shop window until she stopped at Festive Finds, pressing close to the glass.
“The display is so pretty.” She smiled at the Santa surrounded by elves.
Cole opened the door. “Let’s go in.”
Inside she wandered through the shop without once looking at him. When he chuckled, she turned.
“What?” she whispered.
“Why can’t you look at me?” he teased.
She held his gaze for a beat before dropping her eyes. “I did. Happy now?”
He laughed. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed. Do you think they know we had sex—”
“Shhh.” She glanced around. The shop was busy with people browsing and teenagers scrolling their phones at the counter.
Cole folded his arms and tilted his head. “No one is paying us any attention, Aftyn.”
“I’m being paranoid,” she murmured, her shoulders loosening.
“Just a little,” he agreed.
She turned to a display of ornaments, then glanced back at him. “Can we talk about your ex?”
Cole’s jaw tightened and he looked toward the window where sunlight spilled across the street. Then he met her eyes. “What do you want to know?”
“How long were you together?”
He took a breath. “We grew up here together. Started dating after she came back from Stanford. Got serious about six months in, and when she applied to the Clifton hospital I thought that settled it. Her residency kept her busy, but we made it work. About a year after she became a doctor she moved in and we started talking about getting married. We were happy, mostly. She’d leave when we argued, then come back.
Looking back, I think she was testing how far she could push me.
She always said she wanted out of Clifton, but when she took the job here I told myself she’d changed her mind. ”
“You said she left before. How many times?”
Cole raked a hand through his hair. “I lost count. Every argument she’d storm out, then come back once she cooled down.
Most of the time we fought about being apart.
She said things would be different in a bigger city, that she could open her own practice.
” He shrugged. “I never understood why she couldn’t do that here. ”
“She didn’t want to,” Aftyn said quietly. “This was while she was still working in Clifton?”
“Yes. Then a college friend called her from New York. Same field, same goals. Callie said she wanted to go check it out.” He paused.
“I thought she was just visiting. She never told me they were already planning to open a practice together. When she came back she laid it out plain. Go with her or she’d go alone. ”
Aftyn’s eyes widened. “Just like that? After everything?”
“Callie always believed she could bend me to her will. And too many times, I let her.” His voice quieted. “But that ultimatum was the last straw.”
“Did she really think she could talk you into it?”
“Absolutely.” He stared at a shelf of ornaments. “I should’ve seen it coming. Every time she left I’d welcome her back and go right over the cliff again.”
“She wanted the bright lights.”
“When she first visited, the city swallowed her whole. She came back with stars in her eyes and plans to drag me along.” He exhaled slowly. “I told her I couldn’t walk away from my family or the farm.”
“And you train horses too,” she prompted.
“Reining competitions. I’ve raised several champions.”
“Do you share in the prize money?” Her eyes sparked with interest.
“Yes, that’s usually how it works. Seth trains cutting horses, Ethan breeds and sells barrel racers. Same deal.”
“I love watching cutting horses. The way rider and animal move as one. I always wonder how the rider stays in the saddle.”
Cole grinned. “You have to trust the horse completely. The horse reads the cow’s every move. A good one knows what to do before the rider does.”
“I’ve only ever seen it on TV.”
“You need to see it live. There’s a rodeo here in September if you’re still around. And you should have seen Wyatt Stone compete. He and Cochise were something else. Unbeatable.”
“He might compete at the fair sometimes,” Cole added. “You’d want to see that.”
“I’ll probably still be here.” She touched a delicate ornament, turning it in her fingers. “I can’t imagine what that car is going to cost me.”
“Chuck’s had it almost a month and hasn’t even looked at it yet. You might be better off putting the money toward something newer.”
“Aunt Ping said the same thing. She offered to help but I hate accepting.”
“You didn’t ask. It was her idea.”
“I’ll think about it.” She picked up a snow globe and shook it gently, watching the flurry settle. “I bet this town is magical at Christmas.”
“It is. Garland on every lamppost, red ribbon, tree lighting ceremony. The whole town goes all out.”
“Like a Hallmark movie,” she said softly.
“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled.
“It smells amazing in here.” Her voice dropped to barely a whisper.
“You don’t have to whisper.”
She laughed, soft and melodic. “I feel like I do for some reason.”
“Hi, Cole.”
“Hi, Mallory. This is Aftyn Hutchins. Aftyn, Mallory Nichols. She owns the shop.”
“So nice to meet you.” Mallory extended her hand. “Please look around and let us know if you need anything.”
“Thank you. This place is amazing.”
Cole followed behind Aftyn as she moved through the shop, shaking his head each time she picked something up and carefully set it back down.
A delicate glass snowflake, a carved wooden bear.
She lifted candle lids and sniffed them, her nose crinkling with delight.
Then she spotted the candy case behind the polished glass counter and made a beeline for it, eyes widening.
“Look at that chocolate fudge.” She sighed with longing, then glanced at Mallory. “Do you make this yourself?”
“My mother and I do. Family recipe from the thirties.”
“I have to have some.” She was already reaching for her wallet. “Half a pound, please. I love it straight from the freezer.”
Mallory wrapped it in wax paper and tied it with twine while Aftyn paid cash.
“So, you like fudge,” Cole said.
She turned with a mischievous smile. “Chocolate. I will do just about anything for chocolate.”
“I’ll remember that.” He grunted when she elbowed him in the ribs.
****
Aftyn walked out while Cole held the door, the paper bag crinkling in her hand. She sighed.
“What was that for?” He fell into step beside her.
“I shouldn’t have bought this. I need to save every dollar I can.” She clutched the bag tighter.
“That fudge isn’t going to break you. You’ve barely spent anything on yourself since you got here.” He shrugged. “No harm done.”
“I suppose.”
“Now where?”
“Home. I want to relax for the rest of the day.”
He moved to the outside of the sidewalk and took her hand as they walked back through the parking lot and up the stairs. At the door she turned the key and looked at him.
“You’re coming in, right? We could watch a movie.”
“I can stay awhile. I need to leave around five for dinner at my parents’ house. I have a couple of hours.” He smiled. “I won’t overstay my welcome.”
“You could never.” She tugged on his belt loops, pulling him inside. He kicked the door shut, picked her up, and looked at her.
“Point the way.”
She put her head on his shoulder and pointed down the hall. Who wanted to watch a movie anyway?
Monday morning, Aftyn felt like she needed roller skates to keep up with the flood of hungry ranchers and farmers filling the diner. Set a plate down, scribble an order, pour a coffee, start over. The ceiling fans spun overhead and so did her head.
As she refilled a mug, the bell above the door jingled and a tall man in a charcoal pinstriped suit walked in, slicked-back hair, small briefcase, manicured hands reaching for the laminated menu.
He looked as out of place as a penguin in the desert.
She glanced around but nobody paid him any attention.
Passing through, probably. She picked up the carafe and walked over.
“Good morning. What can I get you?”
“You’re Aftyn Hutchins, right?”
She went still. “How do you know that?”
“Sterling Peterson.” He kept his voice low beneath the clatter of silverware and morning chatter. “Your aunt hired me to find your sister. She gave me a photo of you.” He smiled. “Doesn’t do you justice.”
“Mr. Peterson.” She shook his hand, noting the firm grip and skin that had never seen a day of ranch work. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” He glanced around the packed diner. “I’d ask if we could talk now, but it looks like that might be a while.”
Aftyn smiled. “Mornings and lunch are hectic. My shift ends at one if you want to come back. We can sit in a booth and talk then.”
“That works. I’ll head to my motel and come back.” He shook his head, his hair not moving an inch. “I had no idea it would be this busy.”
“Every morning. Take a look at the menu and flag me down when you’re ready.” She nodded toward the growing line of impatient faces and got back to work.
She moved through the maze of tables, taking orders and refilling mugs, falling back into the rhythm.
Each time the bell above the door jingled her heart skipped and she glanced up, half expecting Cole.
He’d told her he wouldn’t be in this morning, so she had no idea why she kept looking.
Oh, she had every idea why. That man had rocked her world, and she wanted to see him again.
****
Cole stepped into the barn, the mingled scents of hay and warm leather settling over him.
Sunbeams slanted through the high windows, dust floating in the light.
In the center aisle, Rio and Landon eased a palomino down the trailer ramp.
The gelding’s cream coat gleamed like burnished gold, and though he was young his dark eyes stayed steady.
No snorts, no fidgets. Good. That calm would make the work easier.
“That Cliff’s horse?”
“Yes, sir.” Rio wiped the back of his neck with a handkerchief.
“Put him in the last stall. We won’t start right away, but let’s get him settled.”
Rio grinned, tugging the stall door open. “Good thing Cliff’s not in a hurry.”
“He knew it wouldn’t do him any good.” Cole watched the horse step onto fresh straw.
Rio hooked the lead rope to the ring. “Once we’re done here, Landon and I will ride the north fence line.”
Cole nodded toward the transmitter box on the post, its red light blinking erratically. “Trip again?”
“Probably a moose or elk brushing past. I’ll grab a walkie-talkie before we head out.”
“Good. And keep an eye out for that mama grizzly.”
Cole brushed straw from his jeans and headed for the office, already thinking through the morning. Inspect the barley fields, then saddle the mare. She was making progress and he didn’t want the momentum to slip. His phone buzzed as he crossed the aisle. He squinted at the screen and groaned.
Chuck.
He tapped it. “Hey Chuck. What’s going on?”
A rasping sigh came down the line. “Cole, that car’s a total loss. Engine’s locked up solid. The transmission’s the only thing worth salvaging. It’d cost her more to fix than it’s worth. I’m sorry.”
Cole’s shoulders slumped. He’d been dreading this. Aftyn was already stretched thin, and she’d pinned her hopes on getting that car running. He rubbed his temples. “I’ll tell her, Chuck. Thanks.”
He pushed open the office door and sank into his creaking leather chair. Maps, receipts, and a half-drunk cup of coffee cluttered the desk. He sent Aftyn a quick text to call when she had a minute, figuring she’d be slammed until at least late morning. His phone buzzed almost immediately.
He tapped it. “Hey. Thought you’d be buried until eleven.”
“Just got a minute between rushes.” The clatter of dishes drifted behind her voice. “What’s wrong?”
Cole took a breath. “Chuck called. Your car’s a total loss. Cost to fix it outweighs what it’s worth.”
Her exhale came through the line. “Easy for him to say.”
“I know. But maybe it’s time to let your aunt help. You still need wheels, whether you find Avery or not.”
She was quiet a moment. “Alright. I’ll talk to her. The PI stopped in this morning. He’s coming back at one so we can sit down.”
“Good.” Cole straightened the pens on his desk. “How about dinner Saturday at The Hartland? Six o’clock. I’ll make a reservation.”
Her voice softened. “That sounds nice.”
“I’ll pick you up. You can stay over and I’ll bring you home Sunday afternoon.”
“Okay.” He heard the relief in her sigh. “Thanks, Cole.”
“See you soon.” He hung up, set the phone down, and ran a hand through his hair. Still a full day ahead.