Slow Burn: A Colorado High Country Novel

  “Grows?”

  “Marijuana,” Eric said from behind her.

  “Oh.”

  “Hey, Taylor, are you carrying?” Nate called to Austin.

  “Does a bear shit in the woods?”

  A grin on his face, Nate turned his stallion and led them out of the corral and onto a trail that cut across a sweeping meadow of tall green grass and wildflowers, pausing once to glance over his shoulder at Vic. “How are you doing?”

  “Great.” Baby Doe was so docile that she probably would have followed Nate up the trail even if Vic were a sack of potatoes. “I get the feeling she’s done this before.”

  He laughed. “You’re right about that.”

  For a time, they rode in silence, the landscape quiet apart from the chatter of birds and the plodding of horses’ hooves. Vic found herself awed by the beauty that surrounded her—blue sky, rugged peaks, quaking aspens. Nature lulled her senses, the rocking motions of the animal beneath her soothing away stress, fresh air and sunshine melting the tension she’d been carrying since last night.

  Soon the ranch house was far behind them, the trail passing through shady groves of aspen that eventually opened to reveal a lake.

  “Oh!” Vic stared. “It’s so beautiful!”

  The still surface of the water was a perfect mirror for the sky and the mountains, reeds near the far shore swaying in a breeze, and—

  A moose!

  It grazed among the reeds, velvet on its broad antlers. It paid no attention to them, but continued to feed, walking on absurd, spindly legs.

  “Oh, I wish I’d brought my phone.” She’d left it behind, wanting to escape Abigail’s incessant emails for a few hours.

  Eric’s voice came from behind her again. “Got you covered, city girl.”

  She looked over her shoulder and saw that he was taking a photo for her with his phone. “Thanks.”

  They watched the moose graze for a few minutes, then moved on, Vic now acutely aware of the man who rode behind her. In her mind’s eye, she could see him straddling his gelding, strong thighs guiding the animal, cowboy hat shading his face. With that image in her head, she didn’t feel stupid for asking him to kiss her last night. In fact, her request seemed sensible, even necessary.

  And, God, it had been incredible—every brush of his lips, every stroke of his tongue, every caress. Not to mention what he’d done with the rock-hard torpedo in his pants. She hadn’t known it was possible to come like that. Yes, it had been amazing—right up to the moment when she’d lost it and ruined everything.

  How on earth was she going to explain last night to him?

  Eric knew the point of this ride was to enjoy the scenery, but he couldn’t take his gaze off Victoria. She constantly surprised him. She’d taken on wakeboarding, and now she was riding a horse like she’d done it all her life. She sat with perfect posture in the saddle, her dark hair hanging down her back, that white cowboy hat on her head. And those ridiculous boots—all leather and embroidered roses.

  What would it be like to see her in those boots—and nothing else?

  The thought came out of nowhere, ambushing him, turning his blood hot.

  Get your mind out of the gutter.

  It was almost one o’clock when they stopped for lunch, dismounting and turning their horses over to waiting ranch hands who had driven up via an access road. Eric would have helped Victoria dismount, but she did just fine on her own.

  A short walk from the road, they found a shaded picnic area, where Jack West and the rest of the West family waited by two large picnic tables that had been covered with linen table clothes and set with real dishes.

  “This is classy,” Eric said to Austin. “I was expecting to sit on the ground eating baloney sandwiches.”

  Lexi looked just as surprised. “Yeah, me, too. This is amazing.”

  A pretty little girl marched over to Austin, wearing little cowboy boots, a lacy skirt, and a dinosaur T-shirt, a tiara perched on her blond head. “What the hell took you so long?”

  “Miss Emily, what have I told you about cursing?” Jack West called to her, hands on his hips.

  So this was Emily. Nate had adopted her when he’d married Megan.

  She looked at her feet. “It’s okay to think it, but don’t say it out loud.”

  “That’s right.”

  “But you say it out loud all the time, Grandpa Jack.”

  “We’ve talked about that, too. Why is that different?”

  “Because you’re an ornery old cuss.”

  Eric met Victoria’s gaze and saw that she, too, was fighting not to laugh.

  “That’s right. You’ve got to have gray hair to cuss. Now come help your old grandpa get food on the table.”

  Lexi introduced Victoria to everyone—Jack and his wife, Janet, and Megan, who was busy setting condiments on the table. “The two little ones are Jackson—Megan and Nate’s son—and Lily. She’s Jack and Janet’s daughter.”

  And then it was time to eat.

  It wasn’t just the table cloths and dishes that were classy. Lunch, as it turned out, was not your average picnic. Everything was homemade, from the fried chicken and mashed potatoes, to the salads and the blueberry pie.

  Eric couldn’t keep his gaze from drifting back to Victoria. She was quieter than usual, watching and listening while everyone else talked and joked, sadness unmistakable in her eyes.

  That was his fault.

  Damn it.

  Jack seemed to notice, too. “How’s your meal, Victoria?”

  “It’s amazing.” Her gaze shifted to Janet and Megan, her face brightening. “I love to cook. I should get your recipes for fried chicken—and the pie.”

  Jack’s face folded in a frown. “Those would be my recipes, young lady.”

  Janet laughed. “Jack is the cook in the house. We just do the dishes.”

  Color flooded Victoria’s cheeks. “Oh! Sorry.”

  “No offense taken.” Jack topped off Victoria’s iced tea. “Stop by the house on your way out, and I’ll give you a couple of recipe cards.”

  “Thanks. I would appreciate that.”

  Then Jack got to his feet and raised his beer. “Lexi, the ties between your family and mine go back a couple of generations. We’re all happy for you and wish you and Austin the very best in your new life. To the bride and groom!”

  Eric stood, as did everyone but Lexi and Austin. “To the bride and groom!”

  Lexi dabbed her eyes with her napkin. “Thank you, Jack. You’re making me cry.”

  After no one could eat another bite, the Wests got busy cleaning up the table, packing everything away, refusing to let anyone help.

  “We’ve got hand wipes if anyone has greasy fingers, and there’s a privy fifty yards south of here.” Jack pointed. “Otherwise, feel free to hike around until you’re ready to ride again. There’s a little stream off that way.”

  Eric took a quick bathroom break, then washed his hands. He glanced around and saw everyone but Victoria. He hiked off in the direction of the stream and found her sitting on a big boulder, looking down at the water. “Hey.”

  She glanced up at him. “Hey.”

  He sat beside her, unsure what to say next. He wanted to let her know he was sorry about last night, but he didn’t want to spoil the moment by bringing up something she wanted to forget. Fortunately, she spoke first.

  “The Wests are really nice people.”

  “They sure are. They’re the biggest land-owners in the county and damned decent people. They make a sizeable donation to the Team every year and support the fire department, too. Their family has been ranching this land for four generations.”

  “That’s what Lexi said.” Victoria smiled, but the sadness hadn’t left her eyes. “The way she and Britta described everything here, I thought they must have been exaggerating. Now I think they didn’t do it justice.”

  “You were awfully quiet during lunch. Are you okay? Headache?”

  “Oh, no, I feel fine. I
t’s just …” She seemed to hesitate. “I kept thinking how amazing it is that all of you live here together in this beautiful place. In less than a week, I’ll be back in Chicago, sitting at a desk, going to meetings, working on a new campaign. This whole incredible experience will just feel like a dream.”

  “We haven’t closed the borders, you know. I’m sure there are PR firms in Denver and Boulder if you want to move here.”

  What the hell had he just said?

  She gaped at him. “I can’t move to Colorado. Because … well …”

  The list of reasons she’d been about to give him seemed to die on her tongue.

  “I’m listening.”

  She looked into his eyes. “Eric, I …”

  When she didn’t go on, he stepped up. It was time to own his shit. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to push—”

  She pressed her fingers to his lips. “No! No, that was my fault. It wasn’t anything you did. I’m the one who’s sorry. You didn’t push me. You were amazing.”

  Her pupils went wide when she realized what she’d said, a blush stealing into her cheeks. “I mean … I wanted … I didn’t mean to flip out like that. I just …”

  He could see the struggle on her face, in the furrow on her brow and the doubt in those eyes. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

  She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off.

  “Saddle up!” Austin called to them through the trees. “Whoever falls behind gets left behind.”

  And for the second time today, Eric wanted to punch his best friend.

  Vic tapped her foot in time to the music, describing what she’d seen to Winona, her dinner salad long since eaten. “Its antlers must have been five feet wide. It looked like it was probably as tall as my horse. I had no idea they were so big. We saw a couple of golden eagles, too, and some deer, and … what was the name of that cute squirrel?”

  “Abert’s squirrel,” Eric answered. “And, yes, I got a photo.”

  “It was adorable. It had little tufts of fur on its ears. It chattered at us like it was furious with us for trespassing.”

  “Squirrels are very territorial,” Winona said. “It probably was furious.”

  It was then Vic noticed the little smiles on everyone’s faces. “You think I’m funny, but this is all new to me.”

  “I’m glad you had such a good time,” Lexi said. “Jack refused to let us pay for it. He said it was part of their wedding gift to us. Can you believe that?”

  “He’s a generous man,” Austin’s words were upbeat, but his expression wasn’t.

  Something had happened with the Team today. She’d overheard Austin and Eric talking about it in low tones when they’d gotten back to the ranch house—something about a drowning. She’d only caught a few words before they’d seen her and changed the subject. Whatever had happened, it had left them both shaken, and they were trying to protect everyone else by not talking about it.

  A man with a beard and long hair pulled back in a bun walked up to their table, his gaze fixed on Vic. He held out his hand. “You’re Victoria Woodley? I’m Joe Moffat, the owner of Knockers. I hear you don’t like my pizza.”

  Vic stared up at him, mortified to think that someone had passed on to him what she’d said. “Well, I ... um... The pizza is fine. It’s just not what I’m used to.”

  “Don’t try to spare my feelings.” There was no anger on his face. “Just tell me how I can make it better.”

  Before she could answer, Eric piped up. “She promised me she’d make me some pizza. Maybe it’s time for her to keep that promise and show us all how it’s done.”

  “I said I’d do it if we could find the ingredients. It’s not slapping canned stuff on pre-made dough and shoving it in an oven.”

  “You tell me what you need, and I’ll get it,” Joe said. “When can you come in? You can use my kitchen, and I’ll even clean up.”

  Vic didn’t have a recipe at hand, but she’d made it often enough she was pretty sure she could remember everything. She ran through a list of ingredients for the dough, sauce, and the toppings. “When will I have time?”

  “How does Wednesday morning sound?” Joe asked. “That gives me some time to round up these ingredients. We don’t open till eleven, so I can make room for you during our prep. It can be our lunch.”

  Lexi shook her head. “We’ll be on our way back from rafting Browns Canyon. How about Thursday morning?”

  Joe’s brows drew together. “I usually do payroll Thursday morning.”

  And for a moment, Vic thought she was off the hook.

  “But if I come in early and get payroll out of the way, that will work. How about nine? You show me how to make better pizza, and your meals for the rest of your time here are on the house.” He held out a hand.

  She took it, and they shook. “It’s a deal.”

  Rain came up behind them and spoke to Joe. “You wanted to see me?”

  He turned away from the table, lowered his voice. “If the Team shows up tonight, their drinks are on the house. They’ve had a rough day.”

  Rain nodded. “I heard.”

  The two of them walked off together.

  What had happened?

  “How cool is that?” Lexi took a sip of her beer. “You’re going to give cooking lessons to Caribou Joe.”

  The idea made Vic nervous. She’d only ever cooked for pleasure. She’d never cooked under pressure before. “I hope I don’t mess something up.”

  The band reached the end of a song, then the lead singer spoke. “We hear we’ve got a bride and groom in the house tonight. Lexi and Austin, this next song’s for you. From what we’ve been told, it fits.”

  They slipped into a Zydeco version of Paradise By the Dashboard Light, their choice of song making Vic and everyone else laugh.

  Austin took Lexi’s hand, kissed it, and led her onto the dance floor, where people made way for them, cheering as they started to dance.

  Eric took her hand. “Let’s put those fancy boots of yours to work.”

  She pulled back. “I don’t know how to dance like that.”

  He didn’t back down. “I’ll teach you. It’s not as hard as wakeboarding.”

  He led her to the dance floor, took her right hand with his left, and placed his other hand on her back. “You hold onto my shoulder. Yes, just like that. The steps are easy. Just follow my lead. Quick, quick, slow, slow. Quick, quick, slow, slow.”

  It wasn’t hard, but being close to Eric like this destroyed Vic’s concentration, and more than once she lost the rhythm. He smelled like sunshine and saddle leather, his movements confident, his hands strong as they guided her.

  He looked down at her, his blue eyes dark. “You’re doing great.”

  When the song ended, she applauded along with everyone else, then cheered as Austin scooped Lexi into his arms and carried her back toward their table.

  And there was that damned lump in her throat again.

  The band started another song, a slow song with a sensual, bluesy vibe, and Vic turned to walk back to their table.

  Eric held fast to her hand and drew her against him, the heat of his body seeming to enfold her. “Don’t run away.”

  “I wasn’t running.”

  That was a lie. He was too much, and if she weren’t careful, she’d start having feelings for him. Where would she be then?

  She’d be in Chicago, that’s where. He would still be here in Scarlet. Besides, wasn’t she done with men? And then there was the little matter of the promise she’d made herself.

  “You amaze me, Victoria. Every day you surprise me.”

  She looked up at him. “How?”

  “Saturday, it was your willingness to try something completely new. Sunday, it was your compassion toward Bear.” His voice was deep and soft, the sound rumbling in his chest as he spoke. “Today, you showed me that you’re good with horses. Let’s not forget your skill with computers.”

  She didn’t know what to
say. Most of the time when men said kind things to her, it had to do with her body. “I’ve spent more time with you than I have with Lexi.”

  “You don’t hear me complaining.” His fingers traced circles on her back through the fabric of her blouse, sending shivers down her spine.

  “We should probably go work on the vid—”

  “We’ve got time for that later. Just dance with me.”

  “Okay.” She gave in and did what she’d really wanted to do since he’d brought her onto the dance floor. She rested her head against his chest and forgot everything else but him.

  Chapter 8

  Eric watched as Vic finished adding the last photo, trying to keep his mind off her and on the video. He could still feel her in his arms—the gentle swaying of her body, her soft curves, the silk of her hair beneath his fingers. It was driving him nuts. Even so, he didn’t want to leave. He liked being close to her like this, just the two of them.

  She dragged the cursor back to the beginning of their timeline, images playing in reverse order on the screen. “Okay, are you ready?”

  “Let’s see it.”

  She let the video run.

  Eric watched as the project he’d started six months ago came together, interviews edited expertly, photos fading in and out. “I love how you did that. I wouldn’t have been able to figure it out.”

  Vic sniffed.

  He glanced over to see tears in her eyes. “You think it’s that good?”

  She reached for a tissue. “Would you shut up and let me listen?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I would’ve thought you’d had enough of this, given the amount of time we’ve spent editing everything.”

  “Shh!”

  “Geez.” He chuckled.

  On his computer screen, Rose was talking.

  Yeah, he was going to have words with her later.

  “Oh, Emily knows. Of course, she knows. Whatever journey her spirit has made, she knows more about us now than we know about ourselves. She’s thrilled that Lexi and Austin are together. She used to come to me for readings. She had a lot of second chakra energy just like Lexi—very fertile, very sexual.”