She’d have to do something special for them as a way to say thank you. Maybe plan a training session on the climbing wall they loved so much. Fun with ropes, followed by a night out at Up the Creek. Pizza, music, and a few games of pool. The longer she thought about it, the more it sounded like a plan.
Bogart started to bark as she reached the secluded cabins they’d had built on the property. She’d been pleased with the end result, glad they’d managed to maintain as natural a setting as possible, leaving each cabin shielded from the others by a wall of trees. It made for a perfect place to relax and enjoy the wraparound deck at each cabin, with nothing more than birdsong and the occasional chipmunk to break the silence.
Or dogs.
No sooner had she pulled in front of the last cabin and let him out than the cabin door opened and Cody and Ren raced out, their laughter as Bogart greeted them sounding like music to Kellen’s ears.
Ren, with auburn hair and moss-green eyes, was growing more lovely with each passing day as she gained confidence. She was also the more openly affectionate of the two, evidenced by the bone-crushing hug she gave Kellen.
“I missed you. Next time, just so you know, I’m going with you. That way, I don’t have to miss you. Now, what did Doc Susan say? Is Bogart going to be okay?”
Cody, whose dark hair and blue eyes were enough of a mirror image of Kellen that they were often mistaken for sisters, hung back a little. But only a little. “It’s good to have you home, Kel.”
“I’m glad to be home.” Kellen smiled. “And Bogart’s going to be fine. You know I only took him to Denver because he behaves better for Susan when he’s getting checked out than he does for Jen here in town.”
Cody and Ren nodded, and on the surface, they seemed happy enough. But Kellen instinctively felt something was off—with both girls. “Okay,” she said as they entered her cabin, leaving Bogart to burn up some of his boundless energy outside. “Which one of you is going to tell me what’s wrong?”
The two girls looked at each other and immediately busied themselves, bringing in firewood from the deck and building a fire to warm up the cabin. Finally, Cody looked up. “How do you do that?”
“You should know by now I can read your minds.” Kellen grinned before conceding, “But only to a point. Now tell me what’s going on. What’s got the two of you upset? Did something happen while I was gone?”
Another prolonged silence followed, during which neither girl would make eye contact with her. Kellen’s nerves began to twitch before Cody spoke once again. “A cop came by yesterday. He was asking for you.”
Kellen stiffened. She knew her smile slowly faded, but she hoped she didn’t allow any of what she was feeling to come through in her voice. “Did he say what he wanted with me?”
Cody shook her head unhappily while Ren looked almost on the verge of tears. “He just said he needed to talk to you right away. Said that it’s really important. But he wouldn’t tell us why. Probably thought we were just dumb kids.”
“Kellen, are you in trouble?” Ren asked in a small voice. “Do we need to leave?”
At least, Kellen thought wryly, they no longer seemed to worry that she’d leave without them. To anyone else, it might not seem like a lot, but it was definitely progress.
Then she turned and glanced at the small front closet. The one that held a backpack with carefully chosen items. Jeans, T-shirts, some cash, several passports. Just in case she ever needed to leave in a hurry. In case she ever needed to run.
It was a habit she’d not managed to break, even after all these years of being settled in one place. Here. The first place that had ever felt like home in too many years to count. How could she expect to help the girls move forward when she hadn’t been able to help herself?
“Kellen?” Ren’s voice broke through her tangled thoughts.
“Do you want to leave?” she asked softly.
Both girls shook their heads. “No.”
“Good, because I don’t want to leave either,” she said. A rush of emotions swept over her and she held out her hands. Both girls reached for her and she pulled them into her arms, holding them tight. “This is our home. No one—no cop—is going to tell us differently. Trust me. I’ll talk to Annie and find out what she knows. Then I’ll talk to this cop. And if there’s a problem, I’ll take care of it. Fix it. Just like always. Okay?”
Both girls nodded. There was gratitude on their faces, not something Kellen ever wanted to see. But she would deal with that later. For now, she could feel their fear start to dissipate, and that was all that counted.
A long moment passed before Ren spoke again. “The new doctor Annie hired arrived this afternoon. I didn’t see her, but Cody talked to her. Her name’s Dana and Cody says she seems really nice.”
“She’s also hot,” Cody added with a grin. “Of course, she’s older than us. I think more like your age. Maybe you should check her out. Then, if you like her and she likes you, maybe—”
Kellen narrowed her eyes. “Maybe what?”
Surprisingly, both girls giggled. “Maybe then you won’t have to be alone all the time. You need someone, Kel. Like I have Ren.”
Kellen scratched a nonexistent itch on the back of her neck and released a soft laugh. “How can I possibly be alone when I’ve got the two of you looking after me?” She looked from one girl to the other, realized that in spite of the teasing they were actually serious, and decided she needed to quickly change the subject. “How about we go to town for some pizza?”
The music playing as Dana walked into Up the Creek was just right. Loud and lively enough that she could feel it in her blood, low enough that people could still have conversations. The scent of barbecue and the sound of laughter filled the air, and the decor was truly eclectic—antique ski gear on the walls, comfortable chairs and love seats set up in groups, tables filled with pitchers of beer and platters of wings.
Perfect
.
“I hope you’re not disappointed,” Annie said. They’d been seated in a relatively quiet corner near the back by the pool tables and dartboards. A server brought them two frosty mugs of beer and left menus behind. “There are quite a number of really good restaurants in town, but for some reason, I thought—”
“This is perfect, Annie. Exactly what I wanted and I didn’t even know it.”
“I’m glad, because more times than not, this just happens to be where most team members come when they want to unwind.”
Deciding to wait before ordering, they chatted easily over their beer. Annie explained more of the organizational structure at Alpine. She also introduced her to various locals who stopped to say hello. It seemed everyone had an opinion about the clinic, and there was also a great deal of pride in how Alpine’s growth and success had put Haven on the map. Especially from financial backers like the mayor and her wife.
“I have to say, this is the most gay-friendly town I’ve seen outside of Provincetown,” Dana murmured. “In some ways, I feel like I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole.”
“It’s a great place to live and let live.” Annie smiled. “And no offense, because I knew the moment I met you that I’d offer you the position, but the fact you were quite open about yourself didn’t hurt.”
“No offense taken, because I knew the moment I met you that I wanted the opportunity you were offering. I just didn’t want there to be any misconceptions or disappointments.”
As far as Dana was concerned, she’d already spent far too much time dealing with the aftermath of disappointing people. Enough to last a lifetime.
She could still see the carefully controlled disbelief on her parents’ faces and hear the disappointment in their voices when she’d announced she was opting not to follow her father’s footsteps in cardiology. And then she’d exacerbated the situation by moving beyond their sphere of influence and control to New York and taking a job in an inner-city hospital emergency room.
Her mother had sighed and told her she was being selfish. For what? Dana wanted to know. For refusing to continue pushing her own happiness aside for them? For wanting to live her own life, on her own terms, putting her own interests first?
Even though it was an old refrain, the hurt still cut deep. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about disappointing her parents. She did. But she’d waited a long time before asserting control over her own life and now they would all have to find a way to deal.
“That sounds like someone else I know,” Annie said. “And speak of the devil…”
“What?” Dana turned her head and saw Kellen standing just inside the door, radiating energy and talking to the hostess, while the two girls who’d come in with her shook snow off their parkas.
Dana immediately recognized one of them. Cody, who’d been working the front desk. The other girl looked to be around the same age—late teens, early twenties.
“Do you mind if I invite them to join us?” Annie asked.
“Not at all.” It was close enough to the truth. “I know Cody, Kellen’s young doppelgänger, but I’ve not met the other girl.”
Annie clearly found the description amusing. “Doppelgänger’s an apt description for young Cody in that she can be just as stubborn as Kellen. The other girl’s Ren. You’ll seldom see one without the other, and if you see Kellen, the girls are seldom far behind.”
Dana knew the instant the group headed their way in response to Annie’s wave, and found herself watching Kellen’s reflection approaching in an antique mirror on the wall. Dressed in jeans and a navy blue long-sleeved Henley, Kellen’s eyes were bright with amusement and she was laughing at something one of the girls said. The sound of her laughter whispered along Dana’s skin.
By the time introductions were completed, Cody and Ren—clearly a couple, judging by the possessive way they touched—had taken the love seat across from Dana, leaving Kellen no choice but to drop down beside Dana, under the watchful eyes of everyone at the table.
Kellen groaned softly.
Concerned, Dana turned to face her. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”
Releasing a low laugh, Kellen shook her head. “Not exactly, as long as you don’t mind having your every move watched and critiqued.”
Dana glanced at the girls, who were momentarily distracted while checking out the menu. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“I’m sorry. But once they get something in their heads, there’s no stopping them.”
“Should I know what you’re talking about?” she asked. “What specifically do you think is in their heads?”
“Matchmaking.”
For an instant, Dana simply froze, staring at the wry grin on Kellen’s face. “Matchmaking?”
“That’s right. Surely you’ve heard of it? It’s the process of matching two people together—”
“I know what the word means.” Dana frowned at her. “I just don’t understand what it has to do with us. You and me. And why it matters to the girls.”
“It matters to the girls because they’re in love and therefore they think everyone should be.” The faintest smile curved her lips as Kellen explained, “Apparently, they got it in their heads that I shouldn’t be alone around the same time you came along, and it gave them ideas. We’re both of a certain age—”
“Thirty-five.”
“Thirty-two, so close enough. We also both happen to be unattached—um, you are unattached, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I’m quite single. Sweet Jesus, I wouldn’t have asked you out for drinks if I wasn’t.”
Kellen’s smile widened and she leaned in closer. “There is that, although I need to tell you. This impromptu gathering doesn’t count. I believe you still owe me drinks. And maybe dinner.”
“All right. I’ll give that some serious thought,” Dana countered, faintly surprised that Kellen was flirting with her, and pleased at the same time. “In the meantime, what are we supposed to do about…expectations?”
“That depends. Mostly, I suggest we take it one day at a time. The girls will eventually get bored and move on to something else. And in the meantime, you and I will get to know each other, learn to work together, and end up somewhere along the continuum between hating each other and falling madly in love.”
“That simple?”
“Yup. Life is complicated enough. Most of the time, it’s best to take it one day at a time. Kind of like survival,” she said softly. “And here’s your first clue to surviving in the new environment you find yourself. The girls eat fish and eggs, but not meat or chicken, so we’re ordering a vegetarian pizza. But if ribs or chicken wings are your thing, like they are Annie’s, go ahead and order. It won’t present a problem.”
Dana raised her eyebrows. “And you? What side of the great meat divide do you fall on?”
“I’m much like the girls. I must say I love fish, especially salmon, but I don’t eat meat of any kind. That said, I’d never judge someone else by what they like to eat and, heaven forbid, I’d never stand between Annie and her teriyaki chicken wings.”
“I’ll have to keep it in mind. You know, in the event I invite you for dinner.”
“Touché.” Kellen tilted her head back and raised a brow. “So tell me, Dana. Do you play pool?”
“Yes, but I haven’t played in ages, and with this cast, I’m likely not going to be very good.”
“Good to know.” Kellen grinned and leaned closer once again. “And there, see how easy this is? Just like survival. We’ll have a game in a bit, but because we’re going to be working together, I feel I should warn you. Cody is a bit of a pool shark, so watch out for her.”
*
Over the next couple of hours, Kellen consumed more pizza than was strictly necessary, but she’d lost track while sharing in the laughter and banter at the table. She’d have to add twenty laps in the pool to her workout routine in the morning. But she had to admit, it had been a long time since she’d had such an enjoyable evening, so it made the prospect of an additional workout well worth it.
The warmth of genuine affection, small talk, and lots of laughter were like a balm for her soul, enabling her to push aside the detritus of the past that had been stirred by Cody’s earlier comment. About a cop looking for her. And by Ren’s fear that they would have to leave this place that had become a home for all of them.
The girls looked like they were having fun. And, in spite of her own innate reticence and wariness with strangers, she was finding Dana not just attractive, but remarkably easy to talk to.