Shifting Dreams (10 page)

“I do not.” Did she?

Her grandmother smiled. “It wouldn’t be obvious to anyone but me. It’s nice. You haven’t looked like that in a while. You need to get out.”

“I don’t have time for—”

“You’re not an old woman,” Alma said. “You’re entitled to a little happiness for yourself. Lowell wouldn’t have wanted you to be alone.”

He hadn’t. Her late husband had told her himself. Jena said, “You been talking to Mom again?”

“Always.” Alma set the pie down on the table before she settled down next to Jena. “My favorite thing about my son is his wife. I let him know that on a regular basis.”

Jena thought about the two grubby boys climbing on rocks. “I just hope my daughters-in-law like me as much as Mom likes you.”

“That’s the curse of having boys. Sucking up to your daughters-in-law becomes a full-time occupation,” Alma said. “I’m joking, Jen. Your mom and I were just talking yesterday—they’re in Wyoming, of all places—and I may have mentioned that there was a handsome new man in town. She was curious, that’s all.”

“Grandma!” she squeaked. “Why would you do that?”

“I can see the writing on the wall…” Alma gazed out the window. “I’m mystical like that.” Then she turned to smile at her granddaughter. “I’m glad he’s persistent. You need someone to bother you into a little fun.”

Deciding a subject change was in order, Jena asked, “Speaking of persistent, Alex is starting to bug me.”

“Starting to bug me, too. That boy can put away food. Don’t know how he stays so skinny.”

She shook her head. “Then why do you keep inviting him over and not talking about the hotel?”

Alma chuckled and stood, walking to the counter to pull out two mugs and pour the coffee. “Alex McCann is a good boy. He’s also a very smart one.”

“Yep, and he really does think this resort is a good idea for the Springs. He’s sinking a lot of his own money into it with no guarantee of success, just because he thinks it’s the right thing for the future.”

“I’d like to point out,” she said as she sat down, “that I didn’t say ‘no.’ I said, ‘not yet.’”

“Tell me the difference from your perspective.”

Alma sipped her coffee. Black. Always strong and black. Jena poured a dollop of cream in hers.
 

“He’s smart and dedicated to the Springs,” she said. “But he’s young. And he’s been living away. I’m probably going to give him my approval. But the more he has to justify it to me, the more thought he puts into it, and the more pieces of everyday news he has to absorb, the better the project’s going to be.”

So that was the reason behind the chitchat. “You think he’s out of touch.”

“I
know
he is.” She stood again to grab four plates and a sharp knife. “He’s been living in L.A. for over ten years. He needs to be thinking where the water is going to come from to use in this hotel. People on vacation like taking long showers.”

“We’ve never been short on water. Not really. Despite what we tell outsiders.”

“I know that, but it’s still something to be mindful of. He needs to think about who’s going to be around. How is this going to affect the children in town if they have to mind their every word? He doesn’t have kids yet because he and Ted keep dancing around each other, but he will someday. He needs to think about how this is going to affect the farmers in town. Is dust going to become an issue with his pretty hotel landscaping? He’d be building right along the Smith’s farm. And how are hotel guests going to react to tractors outside their windows instead of pretty desert views? All this stuff is going to affect the decisions he makes at the very beginning, so there’s no need to rush into this.”

“There are people out of work, Grandma.” Jena spoke quietly. She respected her grandmother, but she saw Alex’s side of the argument, too. “There are things in motion to get people jobs again. Give people some hope. At least give Alex a sign that he’s not spinning his wheels on this.”

Alma started cutting the peach pie and the sweet scent wafted up and into Jena’s nose. As if called by the dinner bell, she heard the boys scrambling on the back porch, no doubt sweaty and tired from climbing on the rocks.

“Hands. Wash. Now.” She pointed toward the sink as they burst through the door.

“Yes, Mom,” they said in chorus.

Alma started serving. Jena said, “At least let him know you’re giving it some thought, Grandma.”

“I’ll think about it. Now, how many slices of pie do my boys want?”

“I am going to win her over on this,” Alex said as he and Ollie tended the grill and Jena put another salad on the table. “Alma Crowe is going to think I’m the best thing that ever happened to this town by the time I’m done convincing her.”

The sun had slipped behind the mesa, so the evening was starting to cool off. Allie had turned on the sprinklers when she and Joe had turned up with their four kids, so six shrieks of excited laughter rang from the backyard while dinner was put on the table. They were eating on the back porch, which was screened in so they could have the kitchen open to the backyard.

“Is Dev coming over?” Ted asked, and Jena saw Alex shoot her a glare.

“I don’t know. I invited him, but he said he might have to work a shift for someone today.”

“How about the cute police chief?” her friend teased.

Alex muttered, “Are you making passes at every single man in town now, Ted?”

Ted curled her lip and threw a dinner roll at him. It fell to the ground where Ollie’s mastiff, Murtry, immediately scooped it up and trotted away. Jena peeked out the kitchen window to see Allie’s three-year-old daughter, Loralie, hop on his back. The dog turned, gave the small girl’s face a giant lick, then ambled toward the sprinklers with the baby clinging on.

“The chief of police is already pestering me every lunch rush and living behind my house.” Jena glanced out back where she could see a sweaty, shirtless Caleb unloading another box into the 34-foot Airstream trailer at the back of her property that was now his home. If she noticed the lean muscles that glistened in the afternoon heat, well… that just meant she was observant, didn’t it?

She hadn’t even done a background check, just called Jeremy, who assured her the chief seemed pretty tidy for a bachelor and not likely to run out on the rent. Her mother had been thrilled. “He doesn’t need to be intruding on our Sunday dinners, too.”

“He’s more than welcome,” Allie said as she pulled a casserole from the oven. “There’s plenty of food.”

Ted said, “Ah, but, Allie, that would defeat Jena’s purpose in playing hard-to-get.”

Jena rolled her eyes. “Why is no one listening to me? I’m not playing hard to get. I’m playing… not-gettable.”

“I don’t think that’s a thing,” Alex said.

“It should be.”

Ollie’s low voice boomed from his station by the grill. “Can we talk about something other than Jena’s love life? I feel my hair starting to braid itself.”

“Let’s talk about Alex’s failed hotel idea,” Ted said.

“It’s not failed.” Alex’s glare reached across the table. Ted just smiled sweetly at him. “I told you, Grandma Crowe will be putty in my hands. I’ll get it passed by the council.”

“I hope so,” Allie’s husband, Joe, said. “Sure would be nice not to have to work in that piss-poor excuse for a farm supply store anymore.”

Jena bit her tongue and looked away from Allie’s embarrassed face. That “piss-poor excuse” for a store that Allie’s father owned was the only thing keeping food on the table since Joe had lost his job as an electrician at the base. In Jena’s experience, some men took to unemployment with the pragmatic attitude that “this, too, shall pass” and went on about their lives. Joe wasn’t one of those men, and the strain on her friend’s face was becoming more and more evident as the months went by.

“Seems like any honest work that takes care of your family is good work to me,” Ollie said quietly.

Joe glared at Ollie. “I’m going out for a smoke. Allie, watch the kids?”

“Sure thing.” He slammed the screen door as Allie watched him go. “He and my dad were fighting about hours last week.”

Jena saw Ollie and Alex both roll their eyes behind Allie’s back before they turned back to the meat on the grill.

“Of course,” Ted said soothingly. “It’s fine. Hey, Allie, don’t the kids need a check-up? Seems like I haven’t seen them in ages. And I should check Kevin out since he’s shifted. Just make sure everything’s okay on that end.” Few people in town were as educated as Ted. She was an M.D. who also took as many online veterinary courses and seminars as possible. Just par for the course when half your patients turned into something furry or scaly a few times a month.

“I… uh—”

“Just bring them in,
mamá
,” Ted said under her breath. “I’m not gonna charge my best friend.”

“It’s only until we get back on our feet. Then I’m paying you back.”

“Of course. And Jena?”

“Yes, Doctor. I’ll call the office tomorrow and make appointments for the boys.”

“You’re due for your annual, too. Both of you.”

“Whoa! No,” Alex said, holding up a spatula like a shield. “We’re not talking about that stuff in front of the guys, okay? We have to draw a line somewhere.”

“You boys have been getting your prostates checked regularly, right?” Ted gave them a wicked grin. “You’re not in your twenties anymore. I’ll give you the family rate.”

Alex made a disgusted sound as Ollie silently backed around the corner of the house and disappeared.

“Ted, you do know how to clear a room.”

“Don’t get me started about colon health.”

Allie said, “Okay,
I’m
drawing the line on that one. Are we almost ready to eat?”

“Meat is… done.” Alex put it on the platter Jena set out. “Give it about ten minutes to rest and I’ll slice it.” He nabbed a chip from a bowl as he walked past before he opened another beer and made his way to the backyard to watch the kids with Ollie.

“It’s so nice having him back,” Allie said. “Do you think he’ll stay?”

Ted snorted. “Not likely.”

“Has anyone talked to Willow lately? Maybe she knows.” Allie asked.

Jena shook her head. “She’s been at that art convention in Boulder this month. I haven’t seen her.”

“Neither have I,” Ted said. “Now, Jena, since the boys left us alone, let’s talk about the delicious man who now lives within grabbing distance.”

“Can we not?” She sat down and sipped a can of soda.

Allie sat next to her. “He’s so cute! And he’s really interested. I can tell.”

“The whole town can tell,” Ted said. “He’s totally hot, Jen. You should go for it.”

“He’s asked me out a couple of times.”

Allie and Ted exchanged an incredulous look. “Why haven’t you said yes?”

She shrugged. “Too busy. And I don’t feel like hiding who I am.”

Allie gave her a sympathetic look. “Well, I can understand that.”

Ted said, “Who knows, maybe he’d be okay with you having feathers.”

“And talons,” Jena said. “And wings. Yeah, I’m imagining that conversation right now. It ends with me being that crazy chick he kissed one night.”

Ted shook her head. “He’s going to find out eventually. He’s not an idiot.”

“We just have to be careful,” Allie said. “It’s probably good practice for when the resort comes anyway.”

“Do you guys want it?” Jena asked. “I still haven’t decided to be honest.”

Ted said, “I’m on the fence too, but leaning to yes. There are a hell of a lot of people out of work. The Springs can’t survive without something new coming in. And if the town doesn’t survive…”

She didn’t have to finish her sentence. Every shifter from the Springs knew it was unique. This was the place the water flowed. This was home.

Allie glanced at her husband, brooding in the corner of the yard. “I do. If Joe doesn’t find something soon, I… I just don’t know.”

An awkward silence descended between the three of them. Jena knew that Allie and Joe had problems, but her friend tended to put the happiest face on any situation, and she hated to rock the boat.

Finally, Ted said, “I don’t know why Alex thought he could pull off hiring a detective from away, though. He should have just had Jeremy—”

“Shhh!” Allie hissed. “
Someone
is coming over.”

Caleb strode toward the house. His hat was perched on his head and his chest was bare. His jeans rode low on his hips and Jena could see sweat dripping down the V muscles that framed his abdomen.

“Those are some seriously impressive
transverse abdominis
muscles he’s got going on there,” Ted muttered.

“I’m not sure what that means, but… wow,” Allie said. “Jena, you’re officially crazy.”

Just then, Caleb looked up and shot her that grin that made him so damn irresistible. Jena melted a little, Allie sighed, and Ted said, “You know, if you’re really not interested—”

“Shut up and back off, Ted. Don’t even think about it.” Jena didn’t know what made the words pour out of her mouth. She still wasn’t sure what to do with him, but Caleb Gilbert was hers. She’d figure it out later. At the moment, she was transfixed by… man. Hat, dirty jeans, and man. Who was walking right toward her. With no shirt.