Vivian Arend - Rocky Mountain Rebel

“Wow.” She got the word out on an exhale. It was the only way she could speak.

“Hmm, yeah.” His lips touched her cheek again, tender and soft. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” The absolute relaxation stealing through her limbs meant she wasn’t even sure she had the energy to crawl under the covers properly.

“Give me a second, then we can cuddle up.”

He was gone, stroking her arm as he pulled away. He must have dealt with the condom, but how and where—not only the dark but lethargy made it impossible for her to worry about details. She sighed when he rearranged her on the air mattress, tucked her against his body and covered them both with the sleeping bag.

“I think I like camping,” Vicki admitted.

“You warm enough?”

She hummed contentedly, sleep sneaking up and dragging her off.

“Yeah, I figured.” Joel stroked her stomach, the intimate caress so soft as he slipped his fingers over her skin. “Body heat for the win.”

His nose was freezing.

Joel stared at the roof of the tent and wondered why the material was drooping so badly. Had one of the support poles broken during the night? It was only after reluctantly leaving Vicki’s toasty warm body he realized what was up.

He nudged her hip. “Hey, look at the surprise.”

She rolled, hair tousled around her head, sleep-filled eyes opening slowly. “If this is one of those kinky sex things, can we do it later?”

Joel lifted her into his lap and cuddled her close as he unzipped the tent fly. “Save the kink for another time. Look.”

“Holy shit.”

Vicki squirmed upright, her soft ass pressing his groin. Hmmm. Maybe he’d been too quick to say he wasn’t going to bring the kink this morning.

She wiggled with excitement. “That’s snow.”

Everything outside the tent was blanketed with a couple inches of the white stuff. The tree branches were turned into picture-perfect Christmas-card decorations, the marker rocks around the edges of the campsite mushroom-capped.

Icy coldness poured in the door and wrapped around them. Vicki tugged the flannel material closer to her chest. “It snowed, and we’re camping. Go us.”

“A first time for everything.” He kissed the top of her head and gently slipped her back into the sleeping bag. “Curl up for a while. I’ll get coffee going, and the rest of breakfast.”

She squirmed away, her gaze dropping over him, and he smiled at her expression. Nice to know he was appreciated.

She lifted her eyes, cheeks lightly flushed. “Can I help?”

“Relax. It’ll take a while to get things going.” Joel grabbed his clothes from where they were scattered around the tent, hauled them on and snuck out before all the heat escaped.

Other than having to brush snow off the picnic table and benches, the layer of white wasn’t much of an inconvenience. It gave a fresh, clean feel to the morning, and soon the four of them were sipping coffee and eating the breakfast burritos Vicki’d prepared in foil so he could easily reheat them.

“It changes things, doesn’t it?” Hope gestured around them. “Makes everything renewed, in a way. People always say springtime is the fresh start, but I love the snow.”

“It’s the good memories, that’s why.” Matt winked. “Come on, we have time for a walk before we head back to town.”

Joel enjoyed every minute of it. Holding Vicki’s hand as they tromped through the snow. Making snowballs and smacking Matt in the back of the head, as his brother and Hope rounded a corner in front of them.

By the time they were on the drive home, Joel was as relaxed as he’d been in days.

Hope twisted in the front seat to look at Vicki. She cleared her throat. “If it’s not too weird, I have a question.”

Under his arm, Vicki tensed. “What’s up?”

Hope glanced at Matt, who nodded encouragingly. “I’ve got a bit of a problem, and I wondered if you might help me. You know there’s an apartment over top of my quilt shop?”

“That’s where you live, right?”

Hope nodded. “Well, I’m there less often than I should be these days. I tend to stay with Matt at his trailer, and yet I don’t want to give up the apartment. I don’t really want to have some stranger move in above the shop.”

Joel held his breath. His little chat on the side a day earlier with Matt had resulted in a solution far quicker than he’d expected.

“I wondered if you’d be interested in taking the second bedroom in the apartment. That way someone will be around who I can trust, and…” Hope sighed heavily. “Okay, maybe it’s stupid. Or mean, I don’t know which. But to be honest, my sister Helen has been bugging me about wanting to move back into the place. I’ve told her no a dozen times, but she’s not giving up.”

Joel shook his head. “Why the hell would she think living with you is a good idea when you’re marrying her ex?”

Hope shrugged. “I think we’ve established something is wrong with Helen. No, she doesn’t see why it’s impossible for her to move in with me. With us. And maybe this is a cop-out, but I figure it might shut her up if I tell her the room is filled.”

Vicki nodded slowly. “I might be interested. It would depend what the rent is. If I can afford it.”

Hope hesitated. “Also, I don’t want to mess you up in terms of having a place to live. It’s only a short-term thing because I’m looking at relocating the shop come the spring. Matt and I will live full time on Coleman land, and having a slightly bigger store is in the books.”

“So you only need a roommate until the spring?”

Joel hid his smile. This would work out perfectly. Meant the creep across the hall from Vicki would no longer be a concern, and it was true, Helen was impossible at times. “You’re damn patient with your sister.”

Hope turned back to face the road. “What choice do I have? Ignore her? She’s been better lately, except for this strange insistence she live with me.”

Matt spoke up. “Vicki, think it over, but I’d be very grateful if moving doesn’t put you out too much. I can help.”

Vicki seemed to be holding her breath. “I’m not sure what to say. Thank you.”

“We can look at the details when we get home, okay?” Hope rested her head on Matt’s shoulder. “I’m too relaxed right now to talk money.”

The snow disappeared as they drew closer to Rocky Mountain House and farther out of the mountains. By the time they were on Main Street there was nothing left except a wet slick on the ground.

“Fuck.” Vicki jerked upright. “Stop the truck.”

Matt pulled over before the next set of lights. “What’s wrong?”

Joel stared out the window, trying to see what had her all riled up. “Vicki?”

She already had her door open. “Speaking of pain-in-the-ass family, Sarah just walked past. Or staggered past. Sorry, I need to go.”

All the happiness on her face had vanished, her body tight as she slipped from the vehicle and headed down the sidewalk.

Joel tapped Matt on the shoulder. “If you want to—”

“Just go. We’ll be here to help if you need it.”

Joel scrambled out the door after Vicki, racing to close the distance between them.

Sarah was on her feet, but leaning unsteadily against a wall between shops. Definitely underdressed for the cool temperature, her makeup, which had probably been fancy and fine the night before, made her look more like a raccoon than a sexy woman.

Vicki had her coat off and around her sister’s shoulders before Joel had time to react.

“What the hell are you doing?” Vicki planted her fists on her hips. “Don’t you ever sleep in your own bed?”

Sarah looked over Vicki before running a gaze up and down Joel, speculation in her eyes. “Whose bed were you in last night, lil’ sis? I don’t think you slept alone. So get off your virginal high horse.”

Joel pressed his coat over Vicki’s shoulders, leaping forward to catch Sarah as she stumbled. The fumes coming off her were enough to make his head spin. “Had a few last night?”

Sarah clutched his arm, fingers wrapping around his biceps in far too friendly a manner. “Oh, well, now. Maybe I shouldn’t tease my sister about taking you for a ride. You’re a sweet cowboy, aren’t you?”

“Sarah, you need to go home.” Vicki glanced up the street, her teeth set into her bottom lip. “Joel, I hate to ask, but do you think Matt…?”

“Of course.” He slipped an arm around Sarah’s body to help her to the truck.

Only she didn’t go willingly. Or maybe too willing as she pressed herself to his chest and draped her arms over his neck. “I like cowboys.”

He turned his face to the side to avoid breathing her in. “Sarah, we’re taking you home.”

“You can take me home anytime.”

Vicki snapped. “You really have no problem making a play for my boyfriend? I mean, shit, Sarah, have at least a little class.”

Joel half carried, half dragged Sarah toward Matt’s truck as Sarah struggled to get away. “Oh, that’s rich, coming from you. You’re the original boyfriend stealer in the family.”

“Shut up. You’re drunk, and you don’t want to talk about this right now.”

Sarah, however, wanted to do exactly that. “Poor Lynn was devastated when you stole her boyfriend. Silly girl never had anyone before, and you ruined it.”

They were at the truck, Sarah continuing to ramble.

“You always fuck things up for Lynn. Got her sent away. Ruined her chances to find a decent guy. You’re just a jealous bitch.”

Joel was tempted to suggest they drop the woman in a heap and leave her there.

Only Vicki was opening the back door. “Matt, sorry, but can you drive to my sister’s place?”

Maybe it was uncharitable, but he was grateful when Sarah passed out completely. Unconsciousness stopped her from groping him, and stopped the steady stream of foul accusations flung at Vicki.

Somehow they got Sarah’s limp body into the truck and at the other end of the journey, up the stairs and into her apartment.

Joel carried Sarah as he followed Vicki, the chaos of the room making his eyes bulge. “Crap, I thought guys were pigs.” Oops. “Sorry.”

Vicki thrust open a door and swept clothes off the bed to the floor. “Don’t apologize to me. I agree completely. Put her down and we can go.”

She pulled a garbage can closer to the side of the bed and jerked a cover over Sarah who was already snoring.

“You want to take her shoes off or anything?” Joel asked.

Vicki grabbed him by the hand and physically pulled him from the room. “The only reason we stopped is if she’d collapsed in some back alley and died after I’d seen her I would have felt guilty. What happens from here on is none of my business. Or yours, so just…let’s go.”

Matt and Hope were silent when they returned to the truck. Matt took them to Vicki’s apartment, the ride far more subdued than the happy hours they’d shared that morning.

Vicki sniffed, her face blank as she blinked away tears.

Joel stepped out to help her with her things, but it was Hope who surprised them both. She waited until Vicki’s small pile of camping gear was inside the apartment doors, then she swept in and wrapped her arms around Vicki, squeezing her tight.

Vicki stood stiffly for a moment before accepting the hug, her eyes bright with moisture. “Thanks. And thanks for the camping trip, it was awesome.”

“Call me, we’ll talk about the rental, okay?” Hope waved as she hopped into the truck cab.

Joel took Vicki’s things upstairs, making a rude gesture at the asshole across the hall. He hoped even harder it would work out for Vicki to share a place with Hope. He lowered her stuff to the floor before turning to take her in.

It was as if she’d closed off a part of herself. All the warmth and happiness he’d seen over the past day while they’d been camping was locked up tight, and he missed it. He stood without quite knowing what to do. “You going to be okay?”

“Of course.” Vicki paced to the window and peeked out through the slats. She pivoted toward him and forced a smile. “I’m always okay. Thanks for the camping trip. I had fun.”

He nodded. “She’s not your responsibility.”

“I know. I told you that.” Vicki shrugged. “Just a bit of a kick in the teeth after the different emotions of the past days. It’s nothing I can’t work through.”

Joel moved in closer. “You want me to stay? We can talk about it.”

Vicki met him in the middle of the room and slipped her arms around his waist, tilting her head back to give a glimmer of a real smile. “Oh, you. I’ll be fine. You’re wonderful, and I had a blast. We can talk later this week, okay? I suppose the horse lessons need to continue.”