My Kind of Wonderful (17 page)

B
ailey followed her mom to the parking lot. “Mom,” she said. “Please don’t leave like this.”

Still wearing the scrubs from her nursing job at Denver Urgent Care, Terri Moore turned back to Bailey, her eyes shimmering. “What was going on up in that office with that man, Bailey?”

“Mom, I love you, you know I do, but that’s none of your business.”

Her mom crossed her arms and inhaled sharply—a sure sign of defense that meant she knew Bailey was right but she wasn’t ready to give up the point. “I wanted you to end up with Aaron,” she said.

“I know you did.”

“He’s so perfect for you, and I thought after you had some time you’d see that and go back to him.”

“Mom.” Bailey reached for her mom’s hands and held them in her own. “I do love Aaron.”

“Well you sure have a funny way of showing that.”

“I love Aaron,” Bailey repeated. “But I’m not
in
love with Aaron.”

Her mom stilled and then sighed. “Oh, Bailey. He’s always been there for you, always. You’re going to break his heart.”

“We’ve talked,” Bailey said. “We’re okay. And if we’re okay, I need you to be okay. I need you to be happy for me.”

“But you’re alone!”

Bailey let out a breath. Her dad hadn’t exactly been a model husband. Her mother had never forgiven the male race. But for some reason, she’d loved Aaron since day one. “Being alone doesn’t scare me,” Bailey said.

“Well it should!” Her mother looked horrified. “I understand feminism and I can appreciate the sentiment, but that won’t keep you warm in the stormy times.” Her mom’s voice wavered. “And there are stormy times, Bailey. There are always stormy times.”

“Mom.” Bailey stepped in closer and pulled her into a hug. “That’s just life. There’s good and there’s bad. My happiness and safety won’t come from having a man. It comes from me.”

Her mom sniffed and pulled back just enough to meet Bailey’s eyes. She cupped her daughter’s face and sighed. “When did you get so wise?”

“I had a really great mom.”

Her mom’s eyes softened. “As long as you’re okay.”

“I’m okay.”

“And happy.”

“I’m happy,” Bailey said. “I’m so very happy, Mom.”

“Because of that man I saw you with?”

“Because I’m free,” Bailey said. “I get to wake up
each day and know I’ve got a bunch more days in front of me now. I get to do the things I’ve always wanted to do, like—”

“Sleep with strangers?”

“Like paint a mural,” Bailey said firmly. “And if a hot stranger comes into my life, I can stop to smell the roses. So to speak.”

Her mother blinked. “Does he have a name?”

“He tried to introduce himself to you. Hudson Kincaid.”

Her mom covered her cheeks with her hands. “I was rude to him.”

“Yes, very. You can make it up to him next time you see him by being nice,” Bailey said.

“There’s going to be a next time?” her mom asked, sounding worried again.

Bailey sighed.

“Right. Minding my own business.” She nodded and then shook her head. “I don’t think I will be very good at that, Bailey.”

“For me, you’re going to try.”

Her mom nodded and then her eyes filled again.

“Mom,” Bailey said, pained.

“Did you hear back from the doctor?” her mom asked. “Is that what this is all about?”

“No,” Bailey said. “You know I’d have told you immediately if I’d heard anything. Results won’t be in until Monday or Tuesday, but I’m still clear. I know it.”

Her mom studied her face for a long beat. “You’re sure?”

“
Yes
,” Bailey said with a smile. “The doctor said I looked good, remember? She even threw out the R word.”
Remission
. Not cancer free, that would take longer, maybe
even five years longer, but Bailey knew it would come. “These are just tests that I do every three months to make sure,” she said. “You know all this.”

“Yes, I just like to hear it.”

A few flakes began to drift down, reminding Bailey a storm was moving in and they were on borrowed time. “I’ll follow you down the mountain, okay? We need to stay ahead of the storm.”

“I’d like that.” A look of guilt flashed across her mom’s face. “But it means you have to leave a day early.”

Bailey nodded. “I know. It’s okay.”

“The mural is beautiful.” Her mom reached for her hand. “So beautiful it stopped me in my tracks. I’m so proud of you, Bailey. I hope you know that. And how very much I love you.”

Her throat went a little tight and she squeezed her mom’s hand. “I do know it. And I love you too.”

Her mom gave a little smile. “Once we’re out of the storm’s reach, let’s stop and have breakfast for dinner at IHOP, like the old days.”

The old days. When Bailey had been dying. They’d go and have her treatments and then stop at IHOP on the way home, where Bailey would always order the same thing every time. Strawberry pancakes.

She didn’t ever want to see another strawberry pancake again. But she smiled. “Sounds great, Mom.”

After Bailey left, Hud got two consecutive calls, both involving injuries that required his immediate and full attention.

And he’d given it.

But in between, whenever he had even two seconds
to breathe, his mind replayed Bailey on her knees in his office, her mouth—

“Hud.”

He was running a training exercise in the dark, stormy evening. Evacuating lifts—never easy in the best of conditions, which these weren’t.

“What are you smiling at?” Gray asked. “I said your name like ten times to get your attention.”

Hud gestured for Mitch to take over the training exercise and moved aside with his brother. “What are you doing up here?”

“Needed to have a meeting with you,” Gray said.

“About?”

“About that smile you’re wearing, seeing as it’s been awhile since anyone saw that look on your face.”

Hud looked around and was relieved to find no one paying them any attention. “Are you kidding me? This is what you interrupted a training session for?”

“I never kid about meetings,” Gray said. He pulled out two bags of M&M’s from his pocket and handed one over to Hud. “So… the smile. ’Splain, Lucy.”

He shook his head. “I’m not smiling.”

“Mitch,” Gray called out.

Mitch turned their way. “Yeah?”

“What’s on Hud’s face?”

“Uh… a smile?” Mitch guessed.

“Bingo.” Gray beamed at Hud like,
See
?

Hud shook his head. “This meeting isn’t all that much fun.”

“It’s a lot of fun to me.” Gray tossed an M&M up in the air and caught it in his mouth.

“So smiling’s against the rules now?” Hud asked.

“Man, you’re not just smiling. You look completely wasted.”

“Maybe I had a really great lunch.”

“You locked yourself in your office for lunch.”

Hud lifted a shoulder.

Gray stared at him for another beat and then sighed. “I wouldn’t mind a lunch like that.”

“Exactly what do you think I had for lunch?” Hud asked.

“Bailey.”

Hud, who’d just tossed an unfortunate M&M into his mouth, choked on it. “Penny is dead to me.”

Gray grinned. “You going to deny that you banged Bailey in your office?”

“Jesus.”

“Listen, you bang on the clock, you have to talk about the bang.”

Hud drilled his finger into Gray’s chest. “Say ‘bang’ one more time and I’ll kick your ass.”

Gray grinned wide. “Fine. I’ll stop saying it. But not because I’m afraid of you. Because I have to go.”

Hud caught him by the back of his jacket. “Who else knows besides you and your big-mouthed wife?”

“About the banging?” Gray wisely shook free and took a couple of steps back as he spoke, counting off on his fingers. “Lily, Aidan, Kenna…”

“So everyone,” Hud said, annoyed. “Everyone knows. Shit.” He looked at Mitch, occupied with running the training session. “Don’t let anyone tell Mitch.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s got a bigger mouth than you and Penny. He’ll tell everyone else.”

Gray shrugged. “Should’ve taken her someplace more private.”

“Like you do?”

“That’s right,” Gray said. “I take Penny some place real private. Like my office
closet
.” He grinned. “Have to, she’s noisy so we need the extra buffer.”

Hud resisted stabbing himself with his ski pole while Gray finished his bag of M&M’s and eyed Hud’s.

Hud tightened his grip on his bag. “What do you want?”

“Confirmation on the you-and-Bailey thing.”

Hud stared at Gray. “Tell me you didn’t really come up here just for that.”

“Hey, it’s big news.”

“How so?”

Gray shrugged. “Maybe I’m just curious whether you’re going to find your happy or not.”

Hud blinked. “Why are you talking like Penny all of a sudden?”

“What do you mean?”

“Asking me about my feelings and shit.”

“Because that’s what we do,” Gray said.

“We do that never.”

Gray scratched his head. “No?”

“No, and you’re full of shit. You’re not up here for you. You’re up here for Penny. She made you.”

Gray grimaced. “Lily too. So you’ve got to give me something,” Gray said. “I can’t go back to those two empty-handed.”

Hud ran a hand down his face. “I can’t believe how afraid of two sweet, adorable women you are.”

“Are you kidding me?” Gray asked. “Those two aren’t
sweet, adorable women! They’re hormone driven, crazy, and obsessed with curiosity about you and Bailey. I can’t go home until I get the scoop.”

“Well you should get comfortable in the doghouse then, cuz I’m not giving you the scoop.”

Gray blew out a sigh. “At least tell me how the choking-hazard Underoos went over.”

Hud choked on another M&M. “
Dammit
.”

Gray grinned from ear to ear. “So you
were
wearing them. And you got laid anyway? Man, she’s a total keeper, just sayin’.”

Hud lunged for him but Gray was nothing if not quick as hell. Laughing like a loon, he twisted away.

Hud blew out a breath. “I’ve got a question.”

“What?” Gray asked.

“You said I’d know when it was time to open up and let her in.” He paused, hating that he had to ask. “But I don’t.”

Gray straightened, his eyes going serious. “Holy shit. You love her.”

Hud froze and looked around. “
Who told you that?
” he hissed.

“You just did.” Gray smiled and clapped a hand on Hud’s shoulder. “And you’ll just know. I promise.” And with that, he pushed off on his skis and was gone in a blink.

Bastard.

Hud reached for his phone to call Aidan and tell him that his fiancée was every bit as crazy as Penny.

And that’s when he realized he didn’t have his phone.

He slapped his pockets, searching, before flashing back to slipping his sweatshirt over Bailey’s head. Damn.
She
had his phone.

Back in Denver.

“Mitch,” he yelled. “Need your phone.”

Mitch pitched it over and went back to training.

Hud dialed his own phone and held his breath. Would she answer it if she saw a number she wouldn’t recognize? Would she answer at all? They hadn’t exactly parted on rosy terms. One minute he’d been inside her in more ways than one, having unarguably the absolute best time of his life, and the next a bucket of cold water had been tossed over their heads in the form of one pissed-off mama—

“Hudson Kincaid’s phone.”

He felt a smile crease his face at the sound of her voice. Not exactly friendly or open, but he’d take it. “Hey,” he said. “You answered.”

“Hud? I’m so sorry I ended up with your phone,” she said in a rush. “Do you have any idea how many times a day it goes off?”

He laughed a little. “Yeah.”

“I saw it said ‘Dumb Ass calling’ and I figured it was someone you knew pretty well so I answered.”

Hud looked at Mitch and grinned. “Fast thinking
and
pretty.”

She laughed. “I answered in case it was an emergency. I was going to overnight the phone to you first thing in the morning—”

“I’ll text you our courier information,” he said. “Use our account so you don’t have to pay for it.”

“Thank you,” she said, her voice softer now.

“You pick up any more phone calls I should know about?” he asked.

“No.” She paused. “Mostly because I didn’t want to get you in any sort of trouble with… anyone.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“You know,” she said softly. “Like another woman.”

Aw. Look at her fishing. Equal parts heat, amusement, and affection went through him. “If the triplets call, tell them I’m busy this weekend.”

She choked out a laugh. “Will do.” She paused again. “But are you? Busy this weekend?”

He smiled. “You coming up?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Then yeah, I’m busy.”

There was a beat of silence at that. She didn’t know how to take him. Which made them perfectly even because he had no idea how to take her either.

“What if an important text comes through?” she asked.

“Would it be from you?”

She laughed. “Why would I send you a text when I’m holding your phone?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But you should feel free to take lots of pics of yourself with my camera.”

“I’m going to hang up now,” she said.

“Or videos—” He grinned when she disconnected him. He tossed Mitch’s phone back.

“Nice to see you smiling,” Mitch said. “More trips to your office with the hottie artist for you.”

O
n Monday, Bailey worked with one eye on her phone, waiting to hear back from the doctor about her checkup.

She heard nothing.

She finally quit work a little early to package up Hud’s phone and get it to the post office for overnight delivery. She was just setting it into the box when it buzzed an incoming text from “Mom.” The first few lines of the text showed up on the screen and read:

That was it. That was all she could see in the preview. To access the text would require her to swipe her finger across the screen, which was much more of an invasion of his privacy than taking a quick peek at his screen as texts came in. She closed her eyes, feeling torn between guilt for seeing it in the first place and worry.

Worry won.

She called the resort and asked for Hudson. She was sent to his voice mail. The sound of his voice telling her to leave a message sent a low-level sense of anticipation humming through her.

Okay, a high level.

The highest.

She looked at the time. Three o’clock. If she left right now she could get to Cedar Ridge just as dark hit. The weather was clear at the moment, but if the roads iced up later she’d have to spend the night. This should’ve deterred her in a big way. She had work to do here and she needed the money.

She got into her car anyway.

She got to the resort at five thirty. The lot was nearly empty. The sun had dropped behind the mountains, leaving the kind of dark that a city girl had a hard time getting used to. Up here there were no streetlights, no traffic sounds, no billboards.

The resort offices had a deserted feel. A young woman had a cleaning cart and was working on the floors. “It’s a weekday,” she said to Bailey’s inquiry. “Resort closed at four thirty.”

“Is Hudson still here by any chance?”

The woman looked at a wall that was almost entirely covered by a huge dry-erase board. It had a long list of people on the left. To the right you could see if a person was on duty and where they were located on the mountain. Hud was listed third after Gray and Aidan, and, no surprise, he was on duty. But his location box was empty.

“He’s probably somewhere around here,” the woman said. “He’s in charge of a lot and is always on the move.”

Gray came out from an office and went brows up at the sight of Bailey.

“I came to bring Hudson his phone,” she explained.

He blinked. “You have his phone?”

“Yes, it was an accident. He gave me his sweatshirt on Saturday and his phone was in the pocket…” She trailed off at the look on Gray’s face. “He didn’t tell you?”

“Can I see it?”

She handed the phone over and Gray slid his thumb across the screen.

“You think something’s wrong?” she asked him.

Gray didn’t answer but worked his thumbs furiously for a moment, then handed her the phone.

She stared at him. “You don’t want to give it to him?”

He grinned. “Hell no, I don’t want the evidence anywhere near me.”

“What?”

He just patted her on the arm. “You can leave the phone on his desk. Or if you want to deliver it in person, he’s visiting his mom tonight.”

She bit her lip.

“Ah. You’re as chickenshit about this stuff as he is, huh?” He shook his head. “I’m disappointed.”

She had no idea what that meant, but she headed toward the door.

“You two are perfect for each other,” he said to her back. “Both stubborn as hell. You need to figure out how to portray that on the mural. Maybe label beneath his picture: ‘Mr. Obstinate’ or something.”

She laughed and turned back. “And what would be your label?”

“Mr. Hot-ass Troublemaker.” This from Penny, who
came in from outside. She pushed back her hood and met Gray’s eyes.

Gray immediately dropped his amusement and strode straight for his wife, pulling her into his arms hard.

“I’m all wet,” she murmured.

“Just the way I like you.” His voice was low and soft with affection and a lot more. “Missed you today, babe.”

Their embrace was incredibly intimate, and feeling like she was intruding on a private moment, Bailey let herself out into the night.

She drove into town and a few minutes later knocked on Carrie’s door.

“Two birthday visitors in one night!” Carrie said, happy.

“Birthday?” Bailey asked.

“It’s my birthday,” Carrie said, and beamed.

The first time Bailey had been here, all those weeks ago now, Carrie had told Bailey that her birthday had been just the week before. But not wanting to upset Carrie, she just smiled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t bring you anything. But I will next time.”

“I love presents,” Carrie said. “And cupcakes. Hud’s here too. He’s chatting with the gals in the front office. Said he had some paperwork.”

Paperwork could mean anything, but not for the first time it occurred to Bailey that Carrie’s stay here had to be expensive for Hud and Jacob, very expensive.

“It’s a Monday,” Carrie said. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here tonight?”

Not wanting to admit that she’d accidentally read her private text to her son, she smiled. “Just wanted to check in on things. How are you?”

“I’ve got one of my boys here tonight,” Carrie said simply, “so I couldn’t be better. Now you.”

“I’m good.”

Carrie smiled. “Because you’re here visiting my boy?”

Bailey laughed. “Are you matchmaking?”

“If you have to ask, I’m not doing it right,” Carrie said. Her smile turned sly. “Just seems like there’s a little something there, don’t you think?”

Bailey had been thinking of nothing
but
that very fact. Whether she admitted it out loud or not, there was more than a “little something there” between her and Hud. And it only strengthened with time. She could close her eyes and see his slow, lazy smile, hear his sexy voice… feel him buried inside her.

“You look happy, you know,” Carrie said. “He’s made you happy, hasn’t he?”

Bailey opened her mouth and then closed it, making Carrie laugh. “Oh, ignore me,” Hud’s mom said. “I like to butt in where I’m not welcome. Lifelong habit.”

“It’s not that you’re not welcome,” Bailey assured her. “It’s more that it’s been so long since I could just enjoy myself that suddenly I’m not sure what to do with all the emotions.”

“You could just let them come,” Carrie suggested with brilliant simplicity. “Let things happen.”

“I’m not all that good at that,” Bailey admitted.

Carrie tilted her head to the side. “That’s okay. You might’ve noticed my son isn’t very good with it either.”

“No,” Bailey said on a short laugh. “He’s not.”

“It’s because he has so much on his plate all the time and he always has. It’s a heavy weight, all that responsibility, although he’s pretty comfortable wearing it. He ever tell you about the well?”

Bailey shook her head.

Carrie sighed. “He and Jacob were born feral. Wild to the core. I couldn’t corral them. Hell, I don’t know if anyone could have. They needed a father, but that wasn’t going to happen. They were ten years old when they were playing with a friend on an abandoned property near where we lived. Stevie fell into the well and couldn’t get back up on his own. The water was deep enough that he had to tread water to keep his head free. The twins knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep that up for more than a few minutes in the cold water so Jacob went for help while Hud found a rope and lowered it down the well. But he wasn’t strong enough to pull Stevie up. He had to hold on and wait for Jacob to come back with help.”

“Oh, my God,” Bailey breathed. “How long did that take?”

“They were four miles away from the road and then Jacob had to hitchhike back into town. Took him two hours to get back to the well. Hudson waited two full hours holding on to the rope the whole time, promising Stevie he wouldn’t let him go.”

Bailey could see the boy Hudson had been, bent over the well to keep eye contact with his friend and uttering assurance for as long as it took.

“He still has the scars on his palms,” Carrie said. “All his life, everyone has always talked about good ol’ dependable Hud. Couldn’t find a more steady, responsible man if you tried. Some of which he took to heart, of course.”

“I don’t see how he couldn’t,” Bailey murmured.

Carrie nodded. “Although to be honest, he’s used it to his advantage. He lets responsibility always win out over a personal life. It’s easier, you see. Safer.”

“Safer than what?”

“Putting his heart out there, of course,” Carrie said. “It’s prevented him from letting go of any responsibility in favor of a life. Instead he holds on to his responsibilities with the same grip he held on to Stevie—at the expense of his own happiness.” She paused and met Bailey’s gaze. “You know what I’m saying?”

“Yes,” Bailey said. “I believe I do.” Hud had made it about her, that
she’d
set the one-day-at-a-time rule, that it was
she
who didn’t want a real relationship.

He’d hidden behind that.

And she’d let him.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Carrie said. “You can always count on Hud. That’s the point of this story. Always, to the end. He doesn’t fail the people he cares about, ever.”

“But he gives so much to everyone else in his life that there’s nothing left for him to give to someone… special,” Bailey said softly.

Carrie touched her own nose and nodded. “He shuts women out,” she said. “It’s a definite fault. And as I’ve mentioned, he also pushes away those he especially cares about. You might have noticed that as well.”

Bailey laughed mirthlessly. “Yeah. Little bit.”

Carrie smiled sadly. “Are you going to fall in love with him, Bailey?”

Bailey drew a quick breath. Was she? Was she really going to fall in love with Hudson Kincaid?

She suspected she already had…

“Whatever’s happening between us,” she finally answered, “it’s just until the mural is done. We both knew that. I have my graphic design work in Denver—”

“Which could be done from anywhere.”

“Maybe,” Bailey allowed. “But Hudson’s pretty busy here with the mountain and…”

“Looking for his brother,” Carrie said.

“Yes.”

“And taking care of me.”

“He would never say that was a burden,” Bailey said.

“True,” Carrie agreed. “But we both know different.”

Bailey shook her head. “No—”

“If it wasn’t for me,” Carrie said, “they’d still be together. We’d never have left Jackson Hole. But we did, and that’s on me. Now Hudson’s alone and sad.” She broke off and bowed her head a moment, rubbing her temples.

“Carrie?” Bailey rose from her chair. “Hey, you okay?”

“Just a headache. Raising twins will do that to you. They’re hell on wheels.” Carrie sighed and lifted her head. “Hudson broke Jacob’s arm, did I tell you that? He was riding his bike on the back roads with Jacob on his handlebars when he hit a bump and sent Jacob flying to the moon. He hit a tree on the way.”

“That must have been a long time ago,” Bailey said.

“Just last week. Jacob’s in a cast. Hud grounded himself.”

Bailey blinked at the sudden change in Carrie. Obviously something had switched and she was no longer in the present but once again locked in the past. Bailey reached for Carrie’s hand. “Maybe it’s time to rest.”

“Nonsense,” Carrie said. “A mom with two wild heathens has no time for rest. No one else blamed Hud, of course, but he can’t be talked out of feeling responsible for Jacob. He never can. It’s the well all over again, only this time his scars are on the inside not the outside—”

“Mom.”

They both turned in surprise to the door.

Hud stood in the doorway. Bailey couldn’t read his expression. He was really good at hiding his thoughts when he wanted to. In any case, he wasn’t exactly broadcasting good humor at the moment.

“Excuse us a minute, Mom,” he said, and wrapped his hand around Bailey’s wrist.

Nope, definitely not happy, she thought as he pulled her from the room. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “We weren’t gossiping about you.”

“No?” he asked mildly as he pulled her out of hearing range of his mom, nudged her up against a wall, and leaned in close to kiss all the good sense out of her.