Reunited In The Rockies. Mindy Obenhaus

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СКАЧАТЬ silent moment passed before Kayla turned to him. “I’m relieved to hear you’re still doing your woodworking.” She lifted a shoulder. “After seeing you at the park, I was afraid you’d given it up in favor of police work.”

      “No way. That was just to tide me over until I could make a living with the woodworking. Now I’m planning on giving up the day job so I can devote all my time to millwork.” Why had he told her all that? Even if he wasn’t faced with the possibility of breaking his father’s heart, it was none of her business.

      “Wow, that’s great.” She smiled. “I’ve often thought about starting my own flipping business. Only historic homes, though.” She absently smoothed a hand over her belly. “Of course, now I have to look at the bigger picture and think about how my decisions will affect others.”

      He inched closer. “Speaking of decisions, you’re not really considering taking Lily up on her offer, are you?”

      Her brow lifted. “Why shouldn’t I? There’s nothing tying me to Denver.”

      He searched her dark eyes. So much for settling down. Evidently, the wanderer in her still couldn’t stand the thought of being stuck in one place for too long.

      Good thing he hadn’t asked her to stay all those years ago. No matter how badly he’d wanted to.

      “Or are you afraid the job might be too much for a woman in my condition?” Her words flew all over him.

      Maybe he had stepped in it with that comment. Yet while his mother had raised him and his brothers to be gentlemen, she’d also been an example of just how capable women could be. Something Kayla knew good and well, having spent a fair amount of time with the woman.

      Standing toe-to-toe with her, he said, “I think you know me better than that.” For a second he thought he saw her wince.

      Then she perched her hands on the backs of her hips and glared up at him. “Do I?”

      “You would if you’d stuck around.” Realizing what he’d said, he jammed a hand through his hair and turned away. He must be more stressed than he thought. He was talking like a crazy man.

      Thankfully, Lily whisked past him. “We’re running out of daylight, so we need to hurry if we’re going to manage even a cursory look.”

      As he followed the two women up the broad staircase, he couldn’t help wondering what he’d gotten himself into.

      * * *

      Kayla stared out the window of Lily’s SUV, eyeing the lights of Main Street on the way back to Granger House Inn. You would if you’d stuck around.

      Again, Jude’s words played through her head, confusing her and messing with her already tired mind. Had he wanted her to stay all those years ago?

      Her eyes briefly fell closed. Foolish. She’d given him every opportunity in the world to ask her to stay and he hadn’t. Despite all of her comments about loving Ouray and how it felt like a good place to call home, he’d let her drive away with her parents without so much as a wish that she would stay.

      None of that mattered now anyway. He was the one who’d deemed their relationship over. She’d moved on with her life. Gotten married. She had a baby on the way, and Lily had offered her an incredible opportunity.

      What was her problem then? Why was she finding it so difficult to say yes? Like she’d told Jude, there was nothing tying her to Denver. The house she’d shared with Shane had sold months ago, what little stuff she had was in storage and since she’d been living at Lily’s there was no lease to worry about. All she had was her job. One she was already considering leaving to start her own company. Throw in the fact that Ouray was the one place she’d always dreamed of settling down...

       Except you’d dreamed of settling down with Jude.

      She blew out a breath, fogging up the window. That was seven years ago. She’d been twenty-one and still traveling from place to place with her parents in an RV. Of course she’d wanted to settle down. She’d spent her entire life roaming. She’d wanted a place to call home. To make friendships that lasted more than six months and have the opportunity to fall in love and start a family.

      Things she’d ultimately achieved in Denver. Aside from her friendship with Lily, though, her life wasn’t the fairy tale she’d envisioned. Instead, she’d found herself perpetually walking on eggshells, always hoping and praying Shane would come home sober. When he did, he could be the most charming person in the world. But if he didn’t...

      Now she had a baby to think about. What if she made the wrong decision and messed up her child’s life the way she had hers?

      “You’re awful quiet over there.” Lily glanced at her across the center console.

      Darkness had fallen over Ouray, so Kayla couldn’t say she was taking in the view. “Just thinking.”

      “In that case, I have something else for you to ponder.”

      “As if I need more.” Twisting, she feigned annoyance.

      “Sorry.” Lily stared straight ahead, her brow puckering. “That was my Realtor who called earlier.” Making a right turn, she glanced Kayla’s way. “We received a full-price offer on the house today.”

      She straightened. “Full-price? That’s excellent.”

      “It is.” Lily let go a sigh. “However, it also means that you’re going to have to find another place to live.”

      “Lily, you were doing me a favor, remember?” And while Kayla had been looking, she had yet to find anything that felt like home. “We knew this was inevitable.”

      “I know, but...” Her friend hesitated. “I’m not trying to pressure you or anything, but I should let you know that I’ve already spoken with Andrew and Carly and if you do decide to stay in Ouray, you can live in Livie’s House, the little folk Victorian next door to Granger House Inn. It belonged to Andrew and Jude’s grandmother, but now it’s used as an extension of the bed-and-breakfast. You’d have the whole house to yourself.”

      She remembered that house. She and Jude used to stop by to play cards with his grandmother, a sweet lady who made some of the best chocolate chip cookies Kayla had ever tasted.

      “I will take that into consideration.” Again, she stared outside. God, You’re trying to tell me something, aren’t You?

      She was still wrestling with herself when they eased to a stop in front of Granger House Inn.

      “Lily, there’s something I need to share with you.”

      Unfastening her seat belt, her friend looked concerned. “What is it, sweetie?”

      “You know how I told you about me and my parents spending time in Ouray?”

      “How could I forget? Your glowing accounts were what made me decide to come here.”

      “Well...” Kayla picked at her barely there fingernails. “What I failed to tell you is that, during those six months, I fell in love. With Jude Stephens.”

      Lily’s СКАЧАТЬ