Rocky Mountain Holiday (To Love Again Book 4) (5 page)

“That’s awesome, Issy.” Jenny glanced towards the bar. “What do you think of Kip?”

“He’s hot. Good grief, that accent alone is enough to have girls throwing their panties at him.”

Jenny laughed, “Not too many girls, I hope.”

“Seriously though, so charming, and he’s clearly very taken with you.”

Her friend smiled and blushed slightly. “The feeling’s mutual. But enough about that … you never did tell me what really happened between you and Tray. I mean, what caused the problem before he chased you down at your office that day? He said he was falling for you, and that scared you?”

Isabel nodded.

“Okay, I get that. But was that it?”

Looking down at the floor, Isabel shook her head. “No, not all of it. We were supposed to be having a casual dinner and out of the blue, he told me he wanted more. I felt hijacked …”

“Okay, but …”

“I found out he lied to me.”

“And that reminded you of your marriage?”

Isabel nodded.

“What did he lie to you about?” Jenny leaned forward, eyes creased with concern.

“You know how we thought he was so much younger? Turns out he’s actually in his mid-30’s.”

“I don’t get it. I thought he said he was in college.”

“It’s a long story … the point is, he’s really 35, not 28.”

“Great. That’s a good thing, right? You were concerned his age would keep you from having a serious connection with him. Now it’s not an obstacle.”

“True, but he still lied to me.”

“Did he? Or was he just not forthcoming with all the facts?”

“It’s the same thing,” she said, shaking her head.

“Not always, Issy. What would have happened that first night if he’d told you that he was really 35?”

“Nothing, I guess.”

“Would you have still taken him home?”

“Probably, yesssss,” she agreed, stretching the word out as the considered her answer.

“Would you have gone to the mountains with him for the weekend?”

“Yesssssss.” A slow smile started to tug at Isabel’s lips.

“Did he say why he didn’t tell you? I mean, was it really such a big deal?”

“Yes, he told me why. And you’re right. If he didn’t intend to lie, if it wasn’t malicious, then it’s not really the problem.”

“So we’re back to what? Fear? You didn’t want to risk getting hurt again?”

“That’s not a small thing, Jenny.”

“I know, but he doesn’t seem like a bad guy. Certainly Barry thinks the world of him and I’ve known Barry a long time. If he vouches for him, then I think you can at least rule him out as an axe murderer or a player.”

“He’s definitely not a player,” said Isabel.

“So,” Jenny leaned in towards her, “are you excited that he surprised you a day early?”

Grinning widely, she nodded. “Truth? Yes.” Her smile evened out, and she grew serious. “I’ve made some good progress on the book, so, yes, I’m delighted he’s here early.”

Jenny rose from her seat. “Come on then, let’s go face the music.”

Isabel laughed and followed her back into the bar. As she crossed the floor, Tray lifted his head and looked straight into her eyes. The bottom fell out of her stomach and her legs turned to liquid. She beamed back at him. His smile lit up his face, his eyes and it seemed like it lit up the whole damn room. The warmth spreading through her, she thought, might not only be excitement, it could actually be something like happiness.

~~~

When the music stopped, Isabel could barely contain her excitement. She tried to focus on the conversation and kept checking Barry to see when he’d look up to greet Tray.

They were talking about the black diamond run they’d done earlier that day. An older woman, an expert skier they’d noticed several times during the day, had ended up in a serious accident. Apparently, a young father and his very young son, had come down the hill on snowboards. The run was clearly beyond the son’s level, he lost control, and ran full speed into the back of the woman, knocking her out at the knees. The ski patrol took her down the hill to the waiting ambulance. It was an old argument and how to keep these accidents from happening always turned into a heated and lively discussion.

She fidgeted, twisting her wine glass in circles, creating large water rings on the table. Where was Tray? She met Jenny’s eyes, who shrugged and lifted her chin in the direction of the stage. Isabel glanced over her shoulder to see Tray chatting with two young women, barely twenty, and openly crushing on him. He was smiling and the tall one had her hand on his arm, tossing her head back and giggling at everything he said.

They were about the same age as her daughters, she noted, and he was enjoying the attention. Well, why not? She had no claim on him, not really. Still, she was glad when he finally extracted himself and started toward the table.

“Tray,” the guys rang out in chorus, announcing his arrival.

“This the Banff version of Cheers?” quipped Tray, smiling all around. “Hi Jenny, nice to see you again.” Jenny smiled her hello. “Valerie, hey - Merry Christmas everybody. Isabel, room for an extra chair here?”

Smiling up at him, she fluttered her eyelashes comically. “This is a surprise.”

He grinned down at her, eyes sparkling. “You’re not annoyed?”

“Not at all,” she smiled back. “Color me delighted.”

Barry had shifted his chair to make room. She shifted hers, he sat down but she was suddenly blocked by the backside of the waitress in her face.

The woman plunked down a beer in front of Tray. “Great set, babe,” she said, a proprietary hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks.” Tray smiled up at her. “Anyone else need drinks while Chrissie is here?”

Kip and Barry re-ordered and Chrissie, clearly unhappy to be sent away so quickly, stalked off in the direction of the bar.

Tray snaked an arm around Isabel’s shoulder, pulling her close, and smiled into her eyes. “It’s so good to see you, babe.”

“Babe? Aren’t you Chrissie’s babe?” she half-joked.

“Tray, you haven’t met Kip,” Barry interrupted. “He’s Valerie’s brother. She got stuck working Christmas so Kip came out early with me to ski.” Barry pushed his seat back from the table. “I need to duck out for a minute, I’ll be back in a few.”

“Where you been hiding, Tray?” Kip asked.

“Just arrived,” Tray said, clearly side-stepping the question. “That’s a pretty heavy brogue - I love Valerie’s accent but it’s not nearly as pronounced as yours.”

“I didn’t know you ‘loved’ my accent, Tray,” Valerie teased as she stood. “Back in a bit.”

“Val’s been here since she was a kid. I’m born, bred and living daily in the Scottish highlands,” Kip said.

“I love your accent,” Jenny interjected, with a broad smile and light touch to Kip’s wrist. Kip turned toward her, a moth to the flame, and Tray and Isabel were left to themselves.

Tray nuzzled Isabel’s neck. “Don’t let the Chrissie thing bother you. She’s my friend’s niece. How was your Christmas?”

“Great, I spent it with my daughters.”

“Nice. I thought they weren’t staying with you.”

“They’re not. They’re staying with a friend down the street. We all had Christmas dinner there. They have a beautiful house.” Good grief. Realizing she was chattering, she took a breath and forced herself to slow down. She was just so excited to see him and her cool was gone, gone. She tried to re-group. “How was Christmas on the farm?”

“Everyone was there, we all ate too much, and I had lots of time with the new baby.”

“Good.” She punched him playfully on the arm. “I didn’t realize you play guitar?”

“Did you like it?”

“Very much. I like your selection of music, too. All the old folk songs and things I remember from my parent’s record collection.”

“Nobody has records anymore,” he teased.

She laughed. “So you have a moon-lighting career as a musician?”

“Not really,” he said, pushing the hair off his forehead. Isabel longed to reach out and do it for him. “I grew up with the owner here, Danny, and I often fill in over the holidays - his regular guy has small kids and likes to be home with his family.”

“Have you always played? You look pretty comfortable up there.”

“Since I was a kid, played a few bars around Drumheller in my twenties. Rock, heavy country, that sort of thing.”

Isabel smiled. “I thought it was heavy rock, not heavy country.”

“I see you’ve never spent a Saturday night in a small prairie bar.”

“You’d be right about that,” she agreed. “I’m basically a city girl at heart.”

“We can change that,” Tray said, winking at her. “How are things going with the book?”

“Very well. I was trying to have most of the writing wrapped up before you got here … tomorrow.”

“I know, when Danny called me I couldn’t say no, and I thought it would be fun to surprise you.” He grinned and leaned in to kiss her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, but she pulled away.

“What about Chrissie?”

“The waitress?”

“She looked pretty hands-on. She won’t be jealous?”

“She’s Danny’s niece, I’ve known her forever. She’s got a little crush is all - not gonna happen.” He leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I’m dying to ravage you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to sit here with you, after not seeing you for almost ten days, and not crawl all over you? Maybe we can go outside for a minute?”

“I don’t know Tray,” she winked. “I don’t want to take you away from anything.”

They looked across the table. Kip and Jenny, deep in conversation, were completely oblivious to them. Barry, meanwhile, was flirting with a brunette woman in a short red dress at the bar. Valerie was talking on her cell in the lobby, one eye on Barry and the woman in red.

“Look,” Tray said, checking his watch, “I can’t really go now anyway, I just have a few minutes between sets. How about after? We’ll grab a drink somewhere.”

Isabel’s heart pounded. She buzzed with the anticipation of a sixteen-year-old.

The bartender shut down the music overhead, a not-so-subtle sign that his break was over. “That’s my cue,” he said, rising. “Say yes.”

“Of course, I’ll see you after.” He gave her a quick peck on the forehead, picked up his beer, and she watched him make his way back to the stage. He was one beautiful man, and watching him walk away, she couldn’t quite decide which was his best side. She smiled, anxious to see what the rest of the night would bring.

~~~

Isabel moved into the far corner of the lobby, away from the music and loud chatter of the bar. Two calls to her daughters’ phones had gone unanswered. They’d sent her a text hours ago saying they’d arrived safely and to give her the name and number of the hotel. She had a bad feeling - she shook it off, she was probably just wound up having Tray close again. She’d try them again in a little while, or simply call to the front desk at their hotel. She considered calling Jean. To say what? That she was feeling anxious … ‘cause her “boyfriend” was here early? Maybe not.

She relaxed into one of the lobby chairs, needing a moment to regroup. From this vantage point, she had a clear view of Tray on the little stage. He looked good up there. Comfortable, confident, sexy as hell. He glanced in the direction of the table and nodded to Barry, who stood and went around the table behind Jenny.

“Tonight, I have a very special guest joining me,” Tray announced. “Please welcome my friend Jenny from Calgary.”

The look on Jenny’s face made it clear she’d had no idea Tray was going to call her up. She shook her head but Barry insisted, grabbing her forearm and helping her up from her chair. Reluctantly, throwing a “what-were-you-thinking” look at Barry, she took the stage.

She consulted with Tray for a few seconds, then he passed her the microphone and started strumming an intro that sounded familiar. Isabel moved to the door of the bar. Jenny started singing one of her favorites, “Lighter Shade of Pale”. She’d heard her do it before, but this version was coming out well - Jenny had the small crowd’s full attention and received enthusiastic applause and cries of “more” and “encore”.

Tray passed her his set list and she pointed. He started playing another Simon and Garfunkel, this time it was “Mrs. Robinson”. From the stage, Jenny winked at her. Tray kept his head down, but was grinning widely. Laughing, Isabel made her way back to the table.

“I had no idea she could sing,” Kip said, holding his phone up to take video.

“She’s got a great voice,” Isabel agreed. “Be sure to ask her about the concert she did last September.”

Kip nodded, hanging on Jenny’s every movement on stage.

Leaning forward in her chair, Valerie nodded also. “She’s really good.”

Barry caught Isabel’s eye and winked. Who knew he’d be such a match-maker?

As Jenny made her way back to the table, the applause slowly died down and in the relative quiet, Isabel’s phone rang. Her daughter’s photo flashed on the screen. Grabbing the phone from the table, she answered the call and headed out to the lobby.