Secretly Hers (Sterling Canyon) (17 page)

After handing his credit card to Jessie, he scanned the handwritten note:

I hope I make you as happy as you’ve made me, cowboy. XOXO, K

He reread it, grinning, and then tucked it in his pocket before Jessie noticed. Two weeks ago, his entire world had turned on its axis. Aside from an occasional doubt, he’d been coping with his new reality just fine. More than coping. If he were being completely honest with himself, he liked his growing closeness with Kelsey.

“You know,” Jessie began while she finished bagging the items, “people are taking bets on how long you and Kelsey will stick it out.”

“Excuse me?” Trip set his hands on the counter, heat rising to his neck.

“Basic stuff, like whether you’ll still be together by the time the baby comes.” She pushed the bag of goodies toward him, smiling like she hadn’t insulted both him and Kelsey. “Based on your conquests during your first eight months in town, odds are long on that one.”

He drummed his fingers against the counter, trying to maintain an unaffected air. “Guess gossip is a pitfall of my legendary reputation. But if people spent more time worrying about their own sex lives instead of analyzing mine, they’d be more . . . satisfied.”

“Since when have you been touchy?” She laughed, which told him he’d failed to hide his feelings. “In a town this small, you had to know news of the most desperate romantic snagging the most notorious playboy with an ‘accidental’ pregnancy would set tongues wagging.”

Trip’s nerves caught fire at her tone and accusation. He glared at her. “Watch it, Jessie. There’s nothing desperate about Kelsey.”

“Sorry, Trip.” Jessie’s eyes widened, as if surprised he’d rushed to Kelsey’s defense. “Just joking around.”

“It’s no joke to imply she tried to trap me. That’s not what happened. And, by the way, I feel damn lucky, so consider that before you place your next bet.” He turned without looking back and marched out the door into the first snowfall of the year.

Normally giant snowflakes boosted his mood. Right now, they weren’t even helping to cool him down. Jessie’s disbelieving expression still lingered in his mind, pissing him off. He’d walked two blocks before the muscles in his neck and shoulders finally loosened.

Couldn’t Jessie see he was happy, dammit? Calling Kelsey desperate.
Please!
Kelsey was sweet and sexy and sassy all rolled into one.

Thinking of Kelsey reminded him of the message she’d snuck into his wallet. The last time he got surprise love notes had to have been tenth grade, when they were stuffed through the slats of his high school locker.

Those had usually been anonymous, which had been fun because he would spend the next day or two trying to figure out which girl had a crush on him.

Now there were no questions about who had the crush. For all the casual indifference she’d shown prior to the pregnancy, Kelsey’s behavior had now returned to the woman he’d met last year. The one who’d had her heart set on Grey.

That memory brought an instant scowl to his face. Not only had Kelsey chosen Grey over him that night so many months ago, but she’d gone on to pursue Grey for months afterward.

Luckily Grey hadn’t been interested, Trip thought, as he breezed into the back office at Backtrax and brushed the snow from his hat.

“That’s the first pout I’ve seen on your face in a while.” Grey crossed his arms and shot Trip a smug smile. “You have a fight with ‘the little woman’?”

“No.” Trip had talked smack for so long, he knew he had to suffer whatever digs Grey took now that he’d succumbed to being in a relationship. Still, he didn’t have to endure too much if he could change the subject. “Have you been outside? Another little snowfall. I spoke with Jon yesterday. He’s available to help out this year until you’re cleared to ski.”

“Jumping the gun, aren’t you? It’s only October fourth, and we’re only expecting three inches today.” Grey unwrapped a grape lollipop and shoved it into his mouth. “Such a tease.”

“It won’t be long now. El Niño, baby.” Trip sank into his chair and crossed his legs at the ankles. “When do you think you’ll be ready to ski?”

“I promised Avery I’d wait until the resort opened and do a first run down a groomer, but I’m thinking I may not be able to keep that promise.” Grey sighed. “Seven weeks seems like forever away.”

Trip didn’t want Grey to push too hard, but being restricted to groomers? For God’s sake, that seemed extremely cautious for such a strong athlete. Surely there was a better compromise. “The forecast is predicting a huge storm this weekend. Maybe Sunday you and I can hike up the inbounds trails and rip up deep pow, maybe dodge some trees in the glades?”

“Technically that would be ‘resort’ skiing.” Grey smiled, but Trip knew his friend was likely a little anxious about testing his knee. In any case, Grey shifted gears. “I’ve got something planned this afternoon, so if the ‘Concerned Citizens’ are still meeting here at four to plan the next steps in scuttling Wade’s project, count me out.”

“That’s fine. I’m good to go.” Trip set his hand atop a thick paper report sitting on his desk. “Got a copy of the impact study right here.”

“How’d you get that?” Grey craned his neck to look at the papers. “Shouldn’t it only have gone to Wade and the Copelands?”

“Does it matter?” Trip leaned forward. “I thought you supported doing whatever it takes to make sure this deal doesn’t happen.”

“I don’t want to see anyone come in and upset the balance of town, but you gotta know, your leading the charge is going to get you in trouble with Kelsey.”

“Neither of us has made a secret of our opposing views or promised to back off. One of us won’t be satisfied with the outcome, but it’s not personal.”

Grey shook his head. “I know you aren’t that dumb.”

“Just ’cause I’m not pussy-whipped into backing off my own principles so Kelsey can get her way, doesn’t make me dumb.” Trip tossed a frustrated wave at Grey. “She’s got no right to be angry. I’m not mad at
her
for not backing off and giving me my way, am I?”

“Not the same thing because Kelsey has a bigger stake in this than you.”

“Bullshit. Money isn’t the most important thing at stake.” Trip poked the document with his index finger. “This study shows potential adverse impact to the surrounding residential properties, surface and groundwater risks, displaced wildlife, and other issues. I’m not saying the sky is falling, but there’s got to be a better use for that property than luxury shops and office buildings.”

Grey shrugged one shoulder, his desk chair creaking as he shifted his weight. “I’m sure Wade will offer solutions or compromises to deal with the stuff in that report.”

“Maybe, but we don’t have to make it easy.” Trip eased back into his seat. “Current zoning height restrictions might pose a problem for him. If he needs town’s approval for a special exception permit, that’s another place we can make some noise.”

“When you get so fired up, it seems personal. Don’t piss Wade off so much he cuts off our access over his hotel property.”

“We’ve got a recorded easement. As long as we meet the terms of that agreement, we’re safe. Besides, I’m not sticking my name on everything. I’m merely coordinating the efforts. The retailers are way more vocal at this point.” Trip smirked and grabbed one of Grey’s suckers from the jar. “After the meeting tonight, Bob Russell’s going to get together with the youngest Copeland and try to persuade him to hold out for another opportunity. Something better will come along. That should help Kelsey get over whatever disappointment she feels when this deal falls through.”

Grey’s expression revealed doubts. “For your sake, I hope she sees it that way.”

Chapter Sixteen

Trip knocked on the window of Kelsey’s office before he breezed in through the front door, whistling. The entire room smelled faintly of her flowery perfume, which caused him to smile.

Kelsey remained seated behind her desk, pen in hand. He noticed she’d pulled her hair away from her face with the antique hair combs he’d bought her in Denver. Her silken locks flowed over her shoulders and hugged her chest. As always, she looked feminine and delicious, despite her absorption in her work. If she weren’t eating for two, he’d probably suggest skipping their dinner plans altogether and going straight to bed.

“Hey, gorgeous. Ready to go?”

“Is it six thirty already?” She glanced at her phone. “Why don’t you go across the street to The Mineshaft and get us a table? I’ll be there in ten minutes, promise.”

“I never say no to ribs.” Trip leaned across her desk to give her a quick kiss, then set the bag containing the lotions and journal he’d picked up earlier today in front of the keyboard. Jessie’s smart-ass remarks about local bets zipped through his mind, but he brushed them aside. “By the way, I got you some more little surprises.”

Her face lit with a smile as she peered inside the bag and pulled out its contents. She thumbed through the pregnancy journal, her eyes growing misty. “I love this!”

“Good. Now finish up your work so we can eat and go home.” He kissed her once more for good measure. “See you soon.”

Knowing Kelsey’s tendency to get lost in her work, he figured ten minutes could easily turn into twenty or thirty, so he opted to sit at the bar rather than wait alone at a table.

He was chugging from an icy mug of beer when a pretty brunette sidled up to him. Although she was petite, he could discern her athletic build from the fit of her clothing. Her hazel eyes scanned him quickly before crinkling above her broad smile.

“Trip, right?” She smiled at him expectantly.

“That’s me.” Dimly lit bar or not, normally he remembered faces, but he didn’t recognize hers. “I’m sorry, have we met?”

“You don’t remember me?” Her sly expression warned of an intention to toy with him.

Surely he’d remember if he’d had sex with her. Then again, there had been a few nights last ski season when he’d been drunk enough not to remember much of anything. He needed to deliver a smooth line to wiggle out of this pickle. “Well, my bad memory is certainly no reflection on your pretty face.”

“Still a flatterer, I see. Guess it takes more than sweat-soaked skin and ropes to retain your attention.” Her eyes twinkled with good humor.

Sweat and ropes? How in the hell could he forget a night like that? His face must have revealed his confusion, because she finally chuckled aloud and let him off the hook. “You led my buddies and me on a climb this summer. Seems all that attention you showered on me was more about business than anything personal.”

“Now I remember. You were with three guys. We all crack climbed a chimney.” Trip raised his glass in a toast, relieved he hadn’t actually forgotten having had sex with a woman. “If I recall correctly, you had natural skill. Ellie, right?”

“Ali, and thanks.” She leaned close, her thigh brushing against his, humor now replaced with genuine flirtation. “If
I
recall correctly, you promised to show me a good time next time I saw you.”

That he had. Of course, now he couldn’t make good on that promise. More importantly—and somewhat shockingly—he wasn’t even interested. Unfortunately, Kelsey walked in just at that moment, looking none too pleased to see him at the bar with another woman practically sitting in his lap.

He waved Kelsey over while replying to Ali. “Well, my circumstances have changed, but we can still have a good time up on the big mountain.”

Kelsey stopped beside him, wearing the phoniest smile he’d ever seen on her face. Her misty gaze barely met his before darting to Ali. Was she about to cry? He stood and kissed her cheek and draped his arm around her shoulder to reassure her. “Hey, princess. This here is Ali.”

“Hi!” Ali extended her hand to Kelsey. “Trip and I were reminiscing about our summer climbing excursion.”

“Nice to meet you.” She briefly glanced at Trip, her demeanor almost as chilly as his draft beer. “With ski season on the horizon, I suppose you two can hook up on the mountain again soon.”

He didn’t know if Ali caught the wordplay, but he certainly hadn’t missed the hook-up remark. Kelsey may have been on the verge of tears, but his princess still knew how to push back on him, God love her.

“That’s right.” Ali touched his arm. “We talked about a backcountry tour, didn’t we?”

“We did. So give us a call once some serious snow falls.” Trip tossed ten bucks on the bar. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got dinner plans.”

Once he and Kelsey were settled at a table with menus, he gave her a questioning look. “Okay, what’s going on with you? You don’t expect me not to talk to clients, do you?”

“You can do whatever you want.” She barely looked at him, pretending instead to be studying a menu he suspected she knew inside and out. “In fact, I’m quite sure you will regardless of how I feel about it.”

Trip grabbed the top of her menu and pushed it down on the table. “Jealousy can be cute to a point, but don’t go overboard. I didn’t do anything today except buy you some gifts.”

“I’m not jealous, but for the record, buying gifts doesn’t excuse you from being insensitive.” She sat back, betrayal written all over her face. On closer inspection, she looked more defeated than jealous. He didn’t know why until she spoke again with a quivering voice. “I got a call from Nick Copeland on my way out of the office. Surely you have an idea of how that conversation went, don’t you?”

“Based on your mood, I’d guess it didn’t go as you and Wade had hoped.” He swallowed the rest of his beer along with a tiny dose of guilt. Apparently Bob Russell hadn’t wasted a single moment after their afternoon meeting. Who knew he’d be so efficient?

“Based on my mood? Please don’t play dumb with me or I’ll reach across this table, grab that Stetson, and stomp all over it.” She sat forward, her voice tight. “I don’t know how you and your posse got a copy of that study so easily, but I do know you’re screwing with a deal that will benefit the Copeland heirs and this whole town.”

“And you,” he added, irked by the pretense her anger had any altruistic basis. “If we’re putting all our cards on the table, the least you could do is be honest about what’s really got you upset. This is about what
you
could gain.”

“Darn straight, that’s a big part of it!” Defiance flickered in her eyes. Her cheeks glowed as red as summer strawberries. If she could have shot lasers from her eyes, he’d be dead, no doubt.

Better he face her anger than her tears. But rather than match her high emotion, he beat back his irritation and calmly nodded. “And you blame me.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ve already admitted to being the ‘Concerned Citizen,’ and I know you’ve been stirring up all the local retailers.”

“You’ve got that wrong. Wade and his big project stirred up the local retailers. All I did was make sure everyone was fully informed of the impact of Wade’s plans
before
things went too far. Apparently my concerns were on the mark.”

“That study barely skims all the benefits of the project on tourism, on tax revenue, and a bunch of other stuff.” She sat back, shaking her head, eyes brimming with fresh tears. “You know that commission money will come in handy now more than ever. I really thought, once we officially got together, you’d stop working against me. Honestly, I thought you cared about me. That we were a team now.”

“I do care, dammit. But I never promised to back down from my plans to stop this development.” He reached across the table for her hand, but she withdrew it. “I haven’t asked you to back off as some kind of proof of your feelings for me, have I? Besides, if this deal falls apart, it’s just a delay for you, not a loss. You’ll get a commission whenever the Copelands sell that land to someone who has a better project in mind.”

“You have no idea how rare it is to be the
sole
broker in a deal. Plus, Wade is willing to pay top dollar for that land. Neither of those things are likely to happen again if this deal dies.” She pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off her tears. In an embittered voice, she said, “I’m sure every other offer on that property is going to meet with the same attack from your group, so don’t pacify me with this false hope of some better use. There is none.”

“Not true. Someone could come up with an idea that benefits the town. In fact, that spot would be a great place for a sports park, with unpaved parking, a football field, baseball diamond, a playground, and maybe even a skateboard park. None of that would destroy existing businesses or the environment. And those would be great resources for kids, teens, and families.”

Kelsey’s mouth opened and then closed while she considered his suggestion. “That’s a beautiful idea, but since there’s little to no return on that investment for a developer, it’s unlikely.” She sunk her chin into her palm and stared at the candle between them. Despite believing he was doing the right thing for the community, her frustrated dreams nipped at his conscience. “The bottom line is that you know how much this deal means to me. You know I’m counting on it so I can afford to buy that apartment building for our future. The fact our future means so little to you tells me maybe
this
—” she gestured between them, “isn’t what I’d thought.”

Her soft-spoken words tore through his chest with the force of an ice pick. “Princess,
this
is important to me, but I said at the outset I wouldn’t be perfect. It’s going to take us more than a few weeks or months to come to know and understand each other. But let me tell you, if you think being in a relationship means I’ve got to always back down when you want your way, well,
no
man will ever live up to that expectation. You’ve got to trust me when I say I’m invested in our future, and I promise I’m going to help raise this child, which includes paying for everything.”

Kelsey fiddled with her fork, glancing up at him from beneath her lashes. “I admire you and Grey making a go of your business, so no offense intended here, but Backtrax isn’t raking in the cash. Babies are expensive. School, clothes, lessons, college . . .”

“Trust me, Kelsey, our baby won’t have any money worries.” Trip shifted in his seat, as uncomfortable as ever when thinking about his giant trust fund.

“Good intentions won’t bring in the
serious
money I could clear on Wade’s latest proposal.” She sipped her lemon water, her emotions fading as she swung into business mode.

“I have money.” He crossed his arms and stretched out his legs. “Serious money.”

Kelsey narrowed her eyes. “From what? Gigolo services on the side?”

His body heat jumped ten degrees thanks to her sarcasm. “I didn’t say billions, princess.” He immediately regretted his snide remark. “It doesn’t matter why I have it, I just do.”

She sat back, her lips twitching.

“So you won’t tell me more? Don’t you trust me?” Now she had the audacity to look hurt, like she hadn’t just insulted him six ways to Sunday. He couldn’t help but laugh at the whole situation: him trying and failing to understand this frustrating, sexy woman.

“You’re a handful in more ways than one, you know that?” When she cocked a brow, he leaned forward and took hold of her hand. His muscles relaxed, his pulse slowed.

She shrugged and sat back in her seat, pulling away from him. “Guess we’ve both got to take the good with the bad. Is that a problem?”

“Not for me.” He polished off his beer and nodded at the waitress to bring another.

The weight of Kelsey’s scrutiny hung on his shoulders. She pressed her lips together while she creased her napkin like a fan. “Trip, tell me about where you got this money.” She playfully smirked. “Otherwise I’m going to worry about having to bring our baby to visit you in jail.”

He sighed, knowing he’d have to tell the truth sooner or later. “My dad set up a substantial trust fund when he adopted me.” He shifted in his seat again, glancing around the restaurant looking for the waitress who should be bringing him his much-needed next drink.

“So you’ve had money for most of your life?” Kelsey’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Then why do you drive that beater van and share that dingy little apartment with Grey?”

“I don’t touch the money.” Wincing, he sighed. “At least I never did until recently, when I needed a little to buy into Backtrax.”

“Why not?” Her bewilderment softened the probing question, but it still pricked at the base of his skull.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Because I always thought of it as bribe money. Like my dad thought he could buy his way out of his mistakes, or buy my love or something. I don’t know exactly. I only knew I couldn’t be a hypocrite and take the money while keeping my distance.”

Kelsey drummed her fingers against the table, apparently deep in thought. Her compassionate eyes studied him as she reached across the table to touch his hand. “I’m sorry you’ve had such a hard time with your family. Makes me realize how much I take my own situation for granted. But do you really think he’s trying to buy your love? Maybe he just wanted to give you a sense of security.”

“Or save on taxes,” Trip scoffed. It occurred to him Kelsey had better understand he had no interest in living the high life. “Listen, I’ve never been, and will never be, interested in being part of that moneyed world. My life was happier poor than it ever was with my rich family. And from what I observed among my parents’ friends, wealth can be a booby trap of stress, competition, and paranoia.”

“I wouldn’t know.” She grinned and sipped her water.

“In all seriousness, I’m happy with simple things. And I don’t want my kids to define themselves by any kind of price tag.” He stared at her, making sure she understood the importance of that value.

“Neither do I, Trip. And I hope you know, my feelings for you have nothing to do with your money or how you can make my life easier.”