Chapter Three
It seemed like only moments later when Shelley opened her eyes again. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. This bed was so damn comfortable. She could stay here all day.
Although, judging by the cracks of light she could see around the drapes, she should probably get up. She checked her watch and was surprised to see that it was almost nine. When Trip had said she should sleep in, she’d thought she might manage to make it until around seven-thirty.
She snuggled back down for a moment. Maybe she should ask him if she could buy this bed from him. It was a nice idea, but it wasn’t exactly a practical one.
Her eyes popped open again when she realized that not only wouldn’t it be practical to move this bed up to her little house in town, but she wasn’t even supposed to be staying there much longer.
When she’d rented the house, the owner had been happy to have her there for the winter, but she had to be out by the end of next month.
She understood it. There was a lot more money to be made on short-term rentals over the summer.
She blew out a sigh and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She had to remember that this time in Montana was just a little interlude in her life. She didn’t need to go thinking about anything more permanent.
She smiled to herself. She didn’t need a bed. And as much as she’d like it, she didn’t need a bed with Trip in it, either.
When she emerged from the bathroom a little while later, feeling as refreshed as she could in yesterday’s clothes, she opened the drapes and smiled at the beautiful view.
Trip had told her that his dad had built this house for his mom. They’d chosen this spot because of the views, and she could see why.
She stopped in front of the dresser and peered at herself in the mirror, running her fingers through her hair. She’d do. She’d have to. As soon as she opened the bedroom door, she sniffed.
Bacon.
The smell made her stomach rumble. Although, as she trotted down the grand staircase, she felt bad. She’d told Trip that she’d make breakfast for him—and then she’d gone and slept late.
When she reached the kitchen, she paused in the doorway. Trip had his back to her while he worked at the stove. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip.
He was quite a sight.
He was wearing sweatpants and a navy T-shirt that pulled tight over his muscular frame. Well, he wasn’t exactly one of those big, muscular guys. He had more of an athletic frame. But however she wanted to describe it, he was sexy.
He was as sexy a man as she’d ever known.
Watching his ass as he bent to get a bowl from one of the cabinets, she questioned what would be so wrong about them getting together. Okay, so neither of them was looking for a relationship. But it wasn’t as though a relationship would be in the cards for them anyway. She’d be leaving in just over a month.
How complicated could things get in that time?
They were both reasonable adults. Even if things went wrong between them, they’d be able to get along until she left. She startled guiltily when he turned around.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come down.”
“Good morning. I’m sorry I slept so late.” She jerked her chin toward the stove. “I take it you got hungry?”
He gave her a puzzled look.
“I thought I was going to make breakfast.”
“Oh. Right. Yeah. It’s okay. I was awake, so I thought I’d get it started. I take it you slept well?”
“Like a log. I was thinking about stealing that bed, but that might prove too difficult. So, I think I at least need you to tell me what brand of mattress that is. It feels like sleeping on a cloud.”
Trip laughed. “I’m glad you were comfortable. I’ll write down the brand and model for you if you like. I discovered those mattresses when I stayed in a hotel one time. I asked what they were, and as soon as I got home, I ordered one for every bed in the house.”
“I can understand why.”
“Do you want coffee?”
“I’d love one. I can get it. Do you need one?”
“Yeah, my mug’s over there, thanks.”
Shelley rinsed his mug and got one for herself from the cabinet. When she saw that the coffee pot was already half empty, she had to wonder how long he’d been awake. When she’d fixed his drink, she took the mug to him, and he took it with a smile.
“Thanks.”
She took a sip and watched him over the rim of her mug. He met her gaze and held it. The look they exchanged sent a shiver down her spine.
She might have tried to convince herself last night that what felt like overwhelming attraction to him was just the wine talking. But she still felt the same way this morning—no wine needed.
~ ~ ~
After they’d eaten, and Shelley had insisted that she could clean up the kitchen while he took a shower, Trip headed upstairs. He paused at the door to the guest bedroom and smiled when he saw his pajamas folded on the end of the bed.
It had taken him a long time to fall asleep last night, thinking about her just down the hall from him. He’d been tempted to go and check on her, but he’d managed to resist.
He showered as fast as he could since he didn’t know if Shelley was planning to head straight out. He was hoping that she might stick around for a while, since she’d said she didn’t really have any plans for the weekend.
When he got back downstairs, he found her in the den, sitting on the sofa, scrolling through her phone.
She looked up with a smile. “That was quick.”
“I didn’t want to waste any time, since I don’t know how long I get to keep you for.”
She raised her eyebrows, and he realized he should have phrased that differently.
She blew out a sigh. “To be honest, I’ve been thinking about that myself.”
His heart started to pound when he realized that she was talking about more than how long she’d stick around this morning. They’d talked a few times recently about finding a replacement for her at the clinic.
When she’d first arrived, she’d only planned to stay a few weeks. Since then, she’d extended the lease she had on her house in town, but she’d told him that she wouldn’t be able to extend it beyond the end of next month. The owners used it as a vacation rental in the summer season and already had bookings.
He liked to think of himself as the kind of man who faced his problems head-on. But when it came to the problem of Shelley leaving, he didn’t even want to think about it.
He gave her a half-smile. “Do you mean you’ve been thinking about hanging out all day with me?”
She made a face. “No. You know what I mean.”
“Unless you’re talking about turning your job into a permanent position, then no, I don’t know what you mean.”
She let out a short laugh. “Come on, Trip. You know we’re going to have to get some interviews lined up. I understand that you had some bad experiences before I arrived to save the day, but I’ll help you find someone competent. I won’t leave you in the lurch.”
He sat down on the other end of the sofa. “How about you just don’t leave?”
His heart pounded even faster. He’d tried to sound like he was joking, but he didn’t know if he’d pulled it off.
She stared at him for a long moment, and when she finally opened her mouth to speak, he didn’t want to hear it—didn’t want her to remind him that she’d only stayed for so long because he needed her, or that he was holding her back when she wanted to move on.
He forced out a laugh. “I know. You never planned to stick around, and you did me a favor staying this long. I’m only joking.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? The clinic’s never run as well as it does now, and that’s all down to you. You can’t blame me for being an opportunist.”
She nodded slowly. “No, I guess not. But like I said, we’ll find you a replacement. I’ll help. We should probably write up an ad.”
His heart sank. He’d only wanted to back off and not put too much pressure on her. Now, it seemed he’d encouraged her to get things in motion for her departure.
“We can talk about it next week.” He forced a smile. “It’s the weekend right now. No work, okay?”
He couldn’t read her expression as she nodded her agreement. If he had to guess, he’d say she looked disappointed. A heavy weight settled in his chest at the thought that she was disappointed about not being able to get things moving on finding her replacement.
He needed to get his shit together. He neither wanted nor needed a woman in his life. And after Shelley left, it’d be easier for him to remember that.
“So, since we’re not going to talk about work, what do you want to do today?”
He was surprised when she got to her feet.
“Like I told you, I have errands to run—chores to take care of. I should get going.”
His heart sank. He’d really messed this up. He didn’t want her to go, but what could he do? His mind raced as he stood to join her.
“Want to come back for another movie tonight?” he asked. It was all he could think of. When she didn’t immediately respond, he hurried on.
“I mean, you’ve seen how much food I still have to work my way through. You’d be doing me a favor.” He smiled. “And there are those sundaes sitting there. There’s no way I’ll be able to eat all of them.”
He relaxed when she smiled back.
“You’re tempting me with sundaes?”
“Yep, I’ll admit it. I’m stooping that low.”
Instead of laughing with him, she frowned as she asked, “Why, though, Trip?”
He had a feeling that if he gave her an honest answer, she probably wouldn’t come back.
He didn’t want to lie to her, though. He blew out a sigh.
“It’s like you said last night. There’s no reason that we should both sit home alone.” He smiled when he remembered something else. “And besides, I’m trying to be nice here—trying to do you a favor by giving you the chance to sleep in that comfy bed again.”
She laughed. “Now that is tempting.”
“So, give in to temptation. Are you really telling me that you’d rather stay home in your little house in town than come down here, eat great food, drink great wine, and sleep on a cloud?”
She shook her head with a smile. “Since you put it that way …”
He nodded, wanting to push his advantage while he sensed he had one. “And if it was the romantic comedy that put you off, you can choose whatever movie you want to watch.”
She rolled her eyes. “I really wasn’t just humoring you. I enjoy watching them, too. I fell asleep because I was tired, not because I wasn’t interested. In fact—” She grinned at him. “The first thing we can watch is the end of last night’s movie.”
He gave her a puzzled smile. “Are you seriously telling me you don’t know what happened?”
She nodded. “I’ve never seen that one before, and I was enjoying it. Why do you think I got so crabby at you for talking over it?”
He chuckled. “Sorry. It didn’t occur to me that you wouldn’t have seen it before. In that case, I promise I won’t talk over it again. I’ll remain completely silent while you watch the end. Then you can choose another one, and I’ll keep it zipped while we watch that, too.”
“I’m not saying that you can’t talk at all.”
Trip frowned when the sound of his phone ringing interrupted her.
His frown deepened when she said, “I’ll take that as my cue. I’ll head out now while you take your call.”
He wanted to tell her that whoever it was could wait, but she was already heading for the door. He grabbed his phone from the counter and followed her.
“What time?” she asked before she stepped outside.
“Anytime you like. I have a few errands to run today, but I should be back by five at the latest—so any time after that.”
“Okay. I’ll shoot you a text at five and let you know what time I’ll be here.” She jerked her chin toward his phone. “You should answer that. I’ll see you later.”
Trip frowned when he saw who was calling. He shouldn’t be surprised—Travis had been checking in with him more often than usual lately.
He swiped to answer the call. “Hey.”
“Hey, buddy. What are you up to today?”
“Not a lot. I’m going to stop by the office for an hour or two.”
“Oh, no! It’s the weekend. You don’t get to go to the office.”
Trip was aware that he’d said pretty much the same thing to Shelley not so long ago. He watched her pull away and held up his hand in a wave.
Travis sounded more serious as he asked, “Are you going in because you need to, or just to kill some time?”
“There’s always work to be done. You know that.”
“Yeah, and I also know that it can wait till Monday. You work too damn hard, buddy. Want to hang out today?”
“Sure. Do you want me to come down there?”
“There’s always work to do around this place. If you want to come and lend a hand, I’ll never say no.”
“I thought you just said that I work too hard.”
“You do—on your doctoring stuff. It’ll do you good to come and get your hands dirty—if you want to.”
Trip turned and looked around the kitchen. The place was as clean and tidy as it had been when he and Shelley arrived last night. There was no sign that she’d even been here.
He didn’t like that.
“I do. I’ll be there in half an hour. What are we working on?”
“Whatever takes your fancy,” said Travis. “If you feel like doing some grunt work, we’ve been working on building a veggie garden behind Zeke’s cabin. If you want to brainstorm with me, we can wander around the meeting space, see what we come up with. Or if you feel like painting, I’ve been meaning to make a start on brightening up Eli’s office.”
“It’s your call. Which is most urgent?” Trip asked.
“Probably Eli’s office. He’s almost ready to make the move. He should be here the week after next.”
“Okay, then painting it is,” Trip chuckled. “I’ll get changed before I come. I know damn well that with you around, it’ll most likely turn into a paint war.”
Travis chuckled. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Trip laughed with him. “Yes, you do. Is anyone else around to help, or will it just be you and me?”
“Just you and me,” said Travis. “And if you don’t feel like it, we can do something else. For me, the whole point is just to get some time with my buddy. I feel like I haven’t seen you in too long.”
Trip had to smile. Travis had only recently moved back home to the valley. For the last few years, they’d only seen each other once every couple of months or so. Now that he was back, Trav didn’t like to let even a week go by without catching up.
“You’re right,” he said. “It’s been a while.”
“How you doing?” Travis asked.
“I’m okay, why?”
“I don’t know. I just get the impression that you’re a little bit down.”
Trip didn’t think he was—he would have been if Shelley hadn’t agreed to come back over this evening.
Travis interrupted his musing. “Never mind. Get your ass into gear and get down here. I’ll get it out of you when I see you.”
“Okay. Give me a bit more than half an hour. I’m going to get changed first.”
~ ~ ~
When Shelley got home, she dumped her bag on the kitchen counter and went straight upstairs to take another shower.
When she’d showered at Trip's place this morning, she’d eyed the big soaking tub in the corner of the bathroom covetously. That was the one thing she’d missed since moving into this house—there was no tub here.
She stood under the spray, letting the hot water hit her face, hoping it might wash the stupidity right off her.
She’d almost made a fool of herself this morning. When Trip had said, How about you just don’t leave? she’d almost said okay.
She’d thought about it for a moment or two, and just as she’d been about to say okay, she’d stay, he’d laughed and told her he was only joking.
At least one of them had come to their senses. Although, Trip had probably been sensible the whole time. Just because she’d been convinced on a few occasions that they were both prepared to give in to their attraction to each other, it didn’t mean that he’d been on the same page.
But no, she was fairly certain that he felt the same way—at least about the physical attraction. But even if he was open to sleeping together, that didn’t mean he wanted her to stay. She was the one who’d gotten carried away thinking that.
When she finally got out of the shower, she felt better. At least she knew where she stood now. She was glad that he’d invited her back over tonight. She’d go, and they’d hang out as friends. It’d be fun.
Spending time with him always was.
And this way, she wouldn’t feel awkward when she saw him again on Monday. They’d hang out. She’d get a grip on her overactive imagination, and everything would be okay.
As she dried herself off, she told herself sternly that on Monday, she was going to start writing up an ad to find her replacement. It was time to move on.
When she was dressed again, she went back downstairs and started making her shopping list for the week. Trip’s fridge might be full to overflowing with all the goodies Maisie had cooked for him, but her own fridge looked sadly bare.
She added a few goodies to her list. After this weekend, she probably shouldn’t hang out with him outside of work anymore. She could spend her evenings cooking for herself.
She checked her phone before heading out to the grocery store and smiled when she saw an email from her friend, Harper.
Hey, Shelley-Bells,
I haven't heard from you for a while. How are things? Are you still in Montana?
Still working for that sexy doctor?
Give me a call when you can—I want to talk to you.
I've been thinking… if you're still there, maybe I could come visit?
What do you think?
Everything’s fine here. I’m just ready for a break.
I’d love to see Yellowstone. And I’d love to see you.
Give me a call and let’s catch up soon.
Love you, girlfriend.
Harper.
oxoxo