Vivian Arend - Rocky Mountain Haven

An hour later Beth dropped the final ball into the pocket, again, and held in her laughter as Matt swore.

“Daniel never warned us you were a shark.” He slapped a bill on the edge of the table, and Beth waved it off.

“We’re playing for fun. You can keep your money.”

Travis grabbed the twenty and stepped closer. “This is part of what makes it fun. People don’t beat Matt very often, and it’s about damn time. Go ahead, take the cash.” He reached around her to slip the money in her back pocket and icy fingers slid up her spine.

She was in his arms, his hands resting lightly on the waistline of her jeans. He grinned saucily, and understanding rolled over her. The ass was testing to see her reaction.

“You lose something, Travis? Or you waiting for me to make sure your next girlfriend likes men who sing soprano?”

Matt snorted and poked Travis in the arm. “Leave her alone, jerk, Daniel doesn’t share.”

Travis ran his gaze down her body and sighed as he stepped back to a polite distance. “True. Pity, that.”

“You boys are something else.” Beth crossed her arms in front of her. “How you’ve not all ended up on Wanted posters all over the country is beyond me.”

Travis winked. “Who says we haven’t?”

“Where the hell did Daniel get to?” Matt glanced around the bar.

“Fuck.” Travis tugged Beth’s arm and pulled her toward the pool table, refusing to let her follow the direction of their stares. He turned his bright smile on her and motioned to the table. “How about one final game? Double or nothing?”

“Travis, what’s your problem? Let go.” She pulled free and found herself blocked by Matt’s muscular frame.

He spoke calmly, as if he were dealing with a skittish animal. “Now don’t go getting the wrong idea.”

She frowned. What was happening?

“What kind of wrong idea could I get?” Travis glanced at Matt and the two of them fidgeted, like her boys did when they got caught doing something wrong. “Stop it, both of you, I’m not twelve years old.” She shrugged off his hand and poked her head around Travis’s big shoulder. “Oh.”

Daniel was at the other end of the room, close to the bar counter, clutching their drink refills in either hand. A dark-haired woman stood far too close, pinning him in place. As Beth watched, the woman flung her hands around his neck and locked her lips on his as if she were giving emergency resuscitation. A funny sensation tickled Beth’s belly, and she stepped back, considering carefully.

Before tonight they’d made no formal announcement in public that they were a couple, not really. They’d mentioned they were dating to the kids, but no one else. She had no right to be upset, but from a logical, analytical point of view—some hussy was crawling over her man. Time for a decision, that’s for sure. In fact it was past time.

“Beth, you okay?”

She turned and lifted a brow at Matt. He and Travis watched her with concern written all over their faces.

“Just fine.” She took the couple of steps back to drop into the seat next to Jaxi. This was one of those moments she wanted a female touch. “Who’s the woman with a death-wish sucking face with my guy?”

Jaxi snorted behind her hand. “Daniel’s ex, Sierra. She dumped him last spring. You want me to come help deal with her?”

Beth stopped to consider. This wasn’t Daniel doing something deliberately to hurt her. In fact, when she evaluated what she knew of his character, he would expect her to speak if she wasn’t happy.

Standing up for herself was slowly getting easier.

She took a deep breath. “He doesn’t want her anymore, does he?”

“Hell, no. I’m surprised to even see her here. We’ve all made it pretty clear she’s not welcome in our circle. She turned out to be a self-centered bitch, if you’ll excuse me for saying it.”

Beth sighed. “Thanks. Okay, I think I can handle one hormonally challenged, poorly groomed woman.”

Blake choked again and Jaxi patted his back. “Don’t worry, dear, it’s a girl thing. Like you’ll have to deal with our daughters down the road.”

By the time she rose and made her way to where Daniel stood attempting to untangle himself from the woman’s clutches, Beth was still undecided what tack to take. It was obvious Daniel wasn’t the instigator, but he needed to learn there was a time to stop being such a gentleman.

She reached his side shortly after Sierra finally let loose the vacuum seal on a second kiss and Daniel tried to get a word in edgewise. The creature covered his mouth with her hand and pouted prettily.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she said in a husky voice.

Beth fought to keep from retching. The dramatic effect the woman was attempting was so pathetic.

“There you are, sweetheart, can I get that for you?” Beth carefully took one of the glasses from Daniel’s fingers and smiled at him. Finally able to move, Daniel stepped clear of the clutches of his ex. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand and grimaced.

“Beth, you want to meet Sierra before she leaves?”

Beth raised a brow and looked the woman up and down slowly. Okay, the ex-girlfriend was good looking, but damn it, Daniel was hers now. Sierra had missed her chance.

“Not really. Not unless she wants to explain why she was clinging to my lover like a piece of Saran Wrap?”

“Lover?” Sierra sputtered. She glared at Daniel. “But you… But we…”

“Split up. A long time ago now, and that’s the end of it.”

“But, I thought maybe we could try again.”

Beth sighed. Sierra was obviously not one of the brighter bulbs in the room. There was no need to be unpleasant about it. As long as the woman didn’t even think of making another move.

Daniel wrapped an arm around Beth’s waist as he shook his head. “You thought wrong. Beth and I are seeing each other, and if you don’t mind, we’ll be returning to our friends.”

The woman stared in silence as they walked away. Halfway back to the table, Beth glanced up to discover everyone was watching, their eyes glued to the drama. Travis and Blake wore matching smirks, Matt looked impressed. Jaxi pumped a fist in the air in victory. Yeah, there was a place for her in their midst, and she felt surprisingly comfortable with that. But the fact she hadn’t even known Daniel had an ex in town bothered her. A lot. Heck, she’d never imagined he was a monk before he met her. Suddenly she wanted to know it all. Who he had dated, what he had loved to do while growing up. What his dreams were for the future.

Holy cow, somewhere in the past two minutes she’d realized she really cared about the big cowboy. She almost felt she should run after Sierra and shake her hand enthusiastically for pushing the right buttons.

Beth was falling in love, and the thought didn’t make her sick to her stomach.

She tugged his hand and led him to the side of the room, staring up at him seriously for a minute.

Daniel touched her cheek gently. “I’m sorry about that. I had no idea she was going to be here, and then I couldn’t figure out how to get away without—”

She pressed her fingers over his lips. Yeah, he should have cut the woman off a lot faster, but his tender heart was part of what she appreciated about him. Time to jump in with two feet and stop holding back.

“You know, we’ve spent an awful lot of time together in the past months, and it appears we haven’t talked about anything more important than the weather and where our next sexual tryst is going to be.”

He frowned. “We’ve mentioned a few things but…you’re right. I was thinking that the other day as well.”

“It’s not easy, not with the kids around. And I know I haven’t been the best at opening up. I’m going to work on changing that, okay?”

There was a flash of delight in his eyes. “You’re not mad at me for that little display with Sierra?”

She shook her head. “Not your fault. Only, if a woman does an octopus imitation on you again, you are allowed to accidentally pour the drinks in your hands on her. That would make her let go quick enough.”

He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am, I’ll remember that.”

She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. The scent of Sierra’s perfume hit her, and she wrinkled her nose.

“Ugh. You smell like that woman.” Daniel laughed as he leaned over to kiss her. She pressed her hands against him and turned her face away. “No sir. You’re sterilizing those lips before I kiss you again.”

He tucked her fingers into the crook of his arm to lead her back to their table. Somehow in the next while they would find the time and ways to start sharing with each other.

Beth took her seat at Daniel’s side, surrounded by the Coleman clan. Maybe making a few more friends along the way would be a good idea was well.

Gabe jotted down a few final ideas before closing his notebook. “That was exactly what I needed to know. Thanks, Allison. I’m glad I spotted your name when I went researching. The government information online was plain enough, but getting to talk to someone actually in the business makes it seem more real. I’m going to have to think a bit how we’ll be able to follow up.”

His dining mate, an old classmate from high school who now lived and worked in Red Deer, raised her water glass and smiled. “I hope you decide it’s worth your while. There’s a call for quality organic meat, and I’m more than happy to use local growers for the restaurants we service. The demand is definitely higher than the supply.”

“Your website mentioned that. About wanting to use local suppliers when possible. That’s part of what made me contact you in the first place.” The fact Allison was a beautiful woman who he already had connections with didn’t hurt matters either, but this was business. No way was Gabe willing to mess up something that could be the savior of their financial future for a tumble. No matter how attractive she’d turned out. The years she’d been gone had been good to her. “I like the idea you’re still working in the community, in a new way. I appreciate that.”

Allison shared a wide smile with him, his compliment obviously making her happy. “Are you staying in Red Deer tonight?” she asked.

Gabe shook his head. “Back home this afternoon. My brother picked up the slack today, but I can’t be gone too long.”

“Do you have time for a tour of our shop? There’re a few classes and weekend workshops I have information on that might help. I forgot to bring the brochures along, but if now isn’t good, I can email you the links instead.”

Someone upstairs liked him. “I have time. Thanks for offering. Thank you for everything.”

Allison accepted his outstretched hand and shook it firmly. “Always glad to see a familiar face from my hometown, and hey, if this works out, I’ll be in a winning situation as well. If you give me a minute, I’ll meet you at the door and you can follow me over.”

Gabe rose to his feet and pulled out her chair, caving far enough to allow himself to watch her hips in admiration as he followed her to the front. He took care of the bill and waited for her to return.

His reflection in the window behind the cash register displayed his enormous foolish grin. He couldn’t help it—the delight filling him at actually having come this far? Man, it felt good.

He’d come up with an idea, and it wasn’t even a halfcocked idea at that. All the requirements Allison had listed to become a registered organic beef farm were possible on the land his family owned. The idea was radical—a complete departure from the way his father ran the spread, but the end result?

It might be enough. The attempt would certainly be interesting.

A familiar laugh carried to his ears, interrupting his mental calculations, and he glanced back into the restaurant. The place was bright with midday sun, and it wasn’t hard to spot the source. Understanding what he saw was more difficult. Helen Meridan leaned forward over one of the tiny tables at the far edge of the room, an older man seated across from her holding her fingers in his.

Gabe stared, waiting for her to pull back. Waiting for a sign this was a business handshake—like the one he’d just given to Allison that had been all above board and legit.

He waited, hoping what he suspected wasn’t really happening, because right now it looked an awful lot like his cousin Matt’s steady girlfriend was holding hands with a stranger.

He wasn’t in the know about everything going on in his cousin’s life, or Helen’s, but he was damn sure she didn’t have a reason to be hours away from Rocky with another man. Especially one old enough to—no, he refused to even conjecture. But when the man raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, Gabe’s mouth turned sour.