Second Chances (14 page)

Tess
chuckled. “I wish. The closest I ever got was sex ed back in college.”

“I
thought doctors knew everything,” April teased her roommate.

“Not
even close.” Tess eyed her. “So, what’s up between you and Dusty?”

“I
don’t have a clue. One kiss and that’s it. Since then, he’s backed off, treated
me like a stable hand or even a friend. Then tonight I run into him in the
hallway and he looks at me like I’m a medium rare steak and he’s a hungry
wolf.” She picked at the quilt.

“Sounds
like he runs hot and cold.”

“Yeah.”

“Probably
still trying to decide what he wants. Maybe even fighting his feelings too.”

April
considered Tess’ words and found them sound. Considering what Lois told her
about Dusty having no use for women besides carnal activities, April could see
how he might be as confused as she was. “True. So, tell me about Brand.”

“Nothing
to tell.” Tess focused on the window as if the world outside proved
enthralling.

“Uh-huh.
I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Carrie noticed it too. He’s definitely
interested.”

“Then
he opens his mouth, grates on my nerves, and we bicker.” Tess sighed sadly. “I
don’t know why we can’t get along. He’s really very sweet. Saved my small herd
and insisted I stay here free of charge.”

“Foreplay.”

Tess
turned and blinked. “What did you say?”

For the
first time that evening, April truly smiled. “Foreplay. Seems to me he’d rather
kiss you, but he’s not sure, so he ends up with ruffled feathers. You both do.
Next time you start to berate him, kiss him instead.”

“That
could be dangerous.” Tess tapped her lips.

“Like
gasoline on a raging wildfire?”

“Oh,
yeah.” A slow grin appeared on Tess’ face. “I have a feeling that hunk of a man
might carry enough explosives for the both of us.”

“Just
let me know, and I’ll be sure to stand clear.” April giggled. She genuinely
liked the eye doctor and couldn’t wait to see if love panned out between her
and the tall, brown-haired brother who ran the ranch. “When you kiss him, I’ll
bet sparks will fly all the way from here to the Colorado line.”

Tess
chuckled. “We’ll see.”

They
each slipped under the covers. April glanced out the window and thought of her
bedroom at home. Worry ate at her. “What will you do if your home is burned to
the ground?” she quietly voiced the question.

Her
roommate sighed. “The clinic I work for closed a couple of days ago, being much
closer to the fire. I worry about it most.” She paused for a long minute. “I
suppose if I lost everything, I’d search for a place to start over. Since I’m
an employee of the clinic and not an owner, I have options. There’ll be other
offices and even different homes.” Tess turned toward April. “Same as you, most
likely. If your hospital takes a hit, you’ll find another place to work and
live. Probably move, at least in the near future, then decide where you want to
settle down once more and piece together your life.”

April
didn’t want to move or piece her life back together. She’d finally found a
quiet pool amongst churning white peaked rapids and hoped to enjoy the relative
tranquility for a long time to come. Dusty’s words came back to her.
It’s in God’s hands.
With the sobering
speck of hope, she drifted off to sleep.

“Dusty?”

A
woman’s voice carried across the stable where Dusty groomed his stud in a far
stall.

April
glanced up, pausing in her long brushstrokes across Mischief’s compact body.
She’d been up since the crack of dawn to help Dusty feed the horses and get a
head start on the unending list of chores for the day. Together. A new habit,
one she found addictive and rewarding.

A leggy
brunette stepped into view, her high heels and short skirt entirely out of
context in the rugged, dusty atmosphere. Her shoulder length brunette hair had
been pulled to the side, showing off a pretty face, accentuated with makeup.
The loose blouse matched her tan skirt, making her appear dressed for a speech
or even a business meeting rather than stepping over dirt and manure in order
to reach her target.

“Colette?”
Dusty left the stall, latching the door behind him. With a smile on his face
and energy in his step, he rushed out to greet her, wrapping her in a tight
hug. “How are you? What’s it been? Years?”

She
laughed and latched onto him with familiarity. A quick kiss to the lips
followed. “Way too long.” She stepped back and raked him from head to toe.
“Amazing. You’re sexy as ever.”

He
chuckled. “You’d be the one to know.”

Ben
didn’t even budge, simply laid beside a bale of straw and eyed the newcomer. He
didn’t appear thrilled with the woman or Dusty’s reaction. A telling sign.

April
could empathize as she watched the two interact and felt the green monster of
jealousy rise. She still knew practically nothing about Dusty’s past, but she’d
bet her bottom dollar, this fancy woman knew the former SEAL intimately.

“Yep.
Every delicious inch.” She licked her lips.

Dusty
grinned wolfishly. “What brings you by here?”

She
blinked up at him. “I heard you were back and couldn’t wait to see you again.”

“Damn,
you’re a sight for sore eyes.” Dusty looked her over thoroughly. He wrapped an
arm around her back to guide her. “Come on. This old place is too dirty for the
likes of you.”

Together,
they left the stable, still chatting away.

April’s
shoulders sagged under the weight of a new realization. Dusty didn’t care for
women, yet he practically ran to this lady’s side, even kissing her in return.
Probably not the witch who nearly separated Dusty from his family forever, but
definitely someone important from his past.

He’d
never treated April half as well. He downright forgot she existed, not even
bothering to provide a mannerly introduction so smitten with his visitor.

That’s the way the cookie
crumbles.

With a
sad sigh, she went back to her work, taking solace from her horses.

“Why’s
there an extra chair at the table?” April set down the two dishes of vegetables
she carried.

Carrie
followed in her wake. “Dusty invited Colette to join us tonight.”

April’s
heart stuttered. The last thing she wanted to do was sit across the table from
the woman who seemed intent to rip Dusty away, essentially killing any and all
chances of April pursuing her wishes. “I take it they have a history?”

The
lady of the house nodded. “They dated a long time before and during college
until Dusty headed to the Navy. He intended to propose to her when he returned
from his years of service, but the witch wrote him a letter, breaking up,
telling him she needed someone to be home with her.” Anger and resentment laced
Carrie’s voice.

“That’s
awful.” Yet, those simple facts explained so much. Dusty’s reaction, his
excitement at having the woman he obviously loved back in his life. April’s
shoulders slouched in defeat.

“She
sounds like a money hungry grub to me.” Tess placed an armful of condiments and
napkins on the table. “Any woman cruel enough to mail a Dear John letter while
her beau is overseas at war deserves to be horsewhipped.”

April
agreed.

Carrie
paused to eye her carefully. “We’re expected to be civil, but that’s all.
Personally, I’d rather kick that hussy’s rear down the front porch steps. So
would the rest of the family.”

“I’d
help.” The words slipped out before April could bite them back.

Tess
grinned. “As I see it, Dusty can’t see past her boobs. Give him time. His brain
will eventually kick back into gear.”

“Before
I’m old and gray?” April sighed wearily. The women tried to bolster her
downtrodden spirits and she appreciated the gesture. Yet, she held no false
convictions that Dusty would latch onto Colette and hold on extra tight. She
might as well be a puddle of mud for him to walk around from now on.

“He’ll
come around. Just give him time to figure things out for himself.” Carrie
finished setting the placemats.

Opening
her mouth, April closed it right back when she heard the front door open and
voices enter. Glancing up, she found Dusty with an arm around Colette, leading
her through the living room and straight for the oversized dining table.

Wonderful.
Without acknowledging either of
them, April quickly returned to the kitchen to help Tess and Carrie carry out
the rest of the food they had slaved over all afternoon. Feeding eight people,
now nine, took a lot of goods, energy, and organization. Carrie excelled at the
task. April simply stood in wonder of the woman, even as she followed orders to
get the meal prepared and served at a decent hour.

“Smells
delicious.” Colt glanced over the table before grinning at Carrie. “Keep this
up and I’ll be fat as a Christmas turkey.”

“Fat?
Where? I certainly don’t see any,” Carrie teased as she took her seat.

Archer
frowned at his wife. “You don’t need to be checking my brother for fat.”

Carrie
rolled her eyes. “Let’s get started before the food gets cold.”

Dusty
pulled out a chair for Colette, sat her down, then plopped down beside her.
April chose the seat at the end of the table, sandwiched between Tess and Evan,
putting necessary space between her and the love birds.

“You
must have worked all day on this, Carrie. I’m sure it’s going to be tasty as
ever.” Colette grinned at the cook.

“Thank
you. I had some really good help.”

April
took a bowl of peas and scooped out a small portion before sending it around.
Each item made the rounds, though she passed on most. Hard to eat when she had
no appetite and shame had formed a lump in her throat.

Why
couldn’t she be happy for Dusty? He was smiling, laughing, seeming to be
thrilled with his old girlfriend. After his service, the fight with his family,
his struggle to start over again, he deserved to find joy. If that meant with
Colette, so be it.

She
sipped her tea and tried to keep from staring at Dusty as she sampled her food.

Unable
to keep her eyes off the stable owner, she found him leaning over and
whispering in Colette’s ear. The curvy woman giggled and scooted closer. Her
eyes locked on Dusty’s until he leaned in for a quick meeting of their lips.

Anger
rushed to the fore. She tampered down the emotion and chastised herself. What
did she have to be upset over? She had no hold over Dusty. They had never been
out together, weren’t dating, and loosely could only be called friends. One
kiss could be forgiven amongst close friends, right?

Most
likely she read things into their chaste relationship that simply weren’t
there. Easy enough to do, she supposed, considering her lack of experience with
men and her infatuation with the stable owner. He probably saw her only as a
boarder, someone he didn’t want to insult or tick off or risk losing the
monthly income caring for two horses could bring. Smart business practices to
keep people coming back and word of mouth in the positive category.

I’m such a fool.

Evan
looked her direction, his lips turning down at the corners. She shrugged and
forced a tiny smile on her face.

“Are
you ready for fall semester, Evan?” Carrie asked from the head of the table.

“Yeah,
I think so. One more year, then off to vet school.” He grinned with excitement.

“Where
are you going to apply to school?” Tess asked.

“University
of Wyoming. Might even try Colorado University too. I haven’t really decided
for sure yet. Guess I need to in order to start filling out application forms.”

“What
do you want to specialize in?” April found the discussion refreshing and a
necessary distraction from Dusty and Colette.

“Large
animals, definitely.” He turned toward April. “Everyone does small animals.
Personally, I prefer being outside on the farm or ranch.” He winked. “Besides,
birds and reptiles really aren’t my style.”

“People
actually keep snakes as pets? That’s horrible.” Colette placed a hand over her
ample chest.

“Something
for everyone, I guess.” Evan shrugged.

“Still.
Eww.” She turned toward Dusty. “I can’t imagine keeping such a thing,
especially in the house.” She shuddered dramatically. “Animals belong outside,
not in the house. The smell alone. Nasty.”

April
stared at Dusty, surprised when he simply shoved a large bite of mashed
potatoes in his mouth and remained silent.

Glancing
down, April found Ben resting behind Dusty’s chair, patiently waiting for his
dinner. Her heart broke at the thought of Colette tossing him outside,
separating Dusty from his companion. Rage ate at her at such a selfish, brutal
act. Surely, Dusty would stand up to her? Like he did just now? She snorted to herself,
pulled off a chunk of turkey and held it behind her. Tapping her leg lightly,
she grinned when Ben ever so gently took the table scraps from her fingers.
After two more bites, she found her plate devoid of meat and patted the dog in
commiseration. “Sorry, boy. I’m all out.”

“Actually,
studies show inside pets help with depression, coping, and loneliness,
especially among seniors living alone.” Evan sipped his tea.

Colette
straightened her spine and pinned Evan with an icy stare. “I’m sure little old
ladies adore their cats. Personally, I don’t care for them.” She turned back to
Dusty. “Remember that old truck you used to have? The red one? You’d put down
some blankets and we’d drive to the middle of nowhere. We’d climb in the back,
lay down, and watch the stars.”

“Oh
yeah. Not the most comfortable bed, but…”

The
brunette batted her eyelashes at him. “I never complained. You’d make me forget
about everything but the…stars.”

The
innuendo carried over like a lead balloon to April’s ears. Pushing a pea around
her plate, April listened to the conversation, cringed each time Colette
laughed at some event in the past, and wished she could excuse herself without
hurting her host’s feeling by not eating any of the supper she worked
diligently in the hot kitchen to prepare.

“Do you
remember that time at Nelson’s pond? Skinny dipping until old man Nelson drove
by?” Colette grinned over the rim of her glass.

Dusty
smiled wide. “I swear the old man about had heart failure on the spot when you
climbed out of the water as naked as the day you were born.”

Colette
winked at Dusty. “If I recall, you made up for my embarrassment fully later on
that day.”

Tess
nudged April. Glancing over, she read the concern and apology on her impromptu
roommate’s face. With a wan smile of gratitude, April reluctantly sliced into
her baked apples, having lost her appetite before the meal even began.

“What
do you do for a living, Colette?” Colt asked as he shoved in a bite of
potatoes.

She
glanced at him, and then appeared interested in the contents of her plate. “I
was a housewife. Now that I’m divorced, I suppose I should learn a trade.”

“Didn’t
you go to college?” Evan asked.

She
shook her head. “No. I never cared much for school. Always thought I’d get
married and do charity work in my free time.”

Archer
glared at the woman, but remained silent.

April
read between the lines. Colette was in the market for another rich husband so
she could spend her life doing exactly as she wanted, shopping, spending money,
traveling, all on her husband’s dollar. Pretty pitiful and useless in April’s
humble opinion.

Colette
forked one pea and dropped it in her mouth. “What are you doing tomorrow,
Dusty?”

He
shrugged. “Nothing that I know of.”

“Let’s
go do something together.” She smiled up at him. “How about the nature center?
You used to love to hike there. Remember that time…”

“Excuse
me,” April whispered, stood, and made a beeline for the front door, not
stopping until she stood at the smaller pen, stroking the adorable face of one
of Tess’ alpacas.

Carrie
might not forgive her, but April couldn’t stand another minute of hearing
details of Dusty’s and Colette’s past, their experiences, their intimacies.
Call her a jealous ninny, but enough was enough.